


The Darkest Night

by TheatricalBride



Category: Crimson Peak (2015), Crimson Peak Behind the Scenes photos, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Blood, Dark Past, Dark Romance, F/M, Original Character(s), Possession, Secrets, Sexual Content, Star-crossed love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-03
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-02-07 07:45:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 53,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1890702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheatricalBride/pseuds/TheatricalBride
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She felt as if something was missing in her world; he longed for his true love to come. Their love will become a story for the ages, and only horror and death threaten to ruin their happiness...</p><p>Inspired by the "Crimson Peak" behind the scenes photos of Tom Hiddleston, but this is an original story! I Enjoy!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> *DISCLAIMER: I do not know the plotlone for the upcoming movie "Crimson Peak" and therefore I am writing based on inspiration from my hopeless romantic heart :3 I do hope you enjoy the story, and please leave feedback! Anything (except anything offensive ;) ) is encouraged! Thank you!!!

 

London, 1890

           It was the evening of Lady Wellington’s annual Spring Ball, and I had graciously received an invitation after my friend’s mother could not attend since she was getting over a terrible cold. The whole household was lit with candles and covered in ivy vines; it smelled of sugary pastries and flowing, bubbling champagne throughout! The halls were filled with laughter, waltzes, and stolen whispers of young lovers. Tonight was a night where anything could happen!

           I had unfortunately lost my friend, Evangeline, to the many male suitors who came searching for either a dance in the ballroom, or perhaps a seductive kiss in a hidden corner. Since I was not as ambitious as she was, I decided to roam the party alone. Unlike Evangeline or really any of the other girls here, I was not one for flirtations. I was very shy and mild mannered; honestly, I found intelligent conversation more intriguing than hiding away to do god only knows what! But sadly, a lady like me was not supposed to make intelligent conversation at events like these. She was only supposed to stand or sit in the ballroom, look pretty, and maybe even get a dance or two with the gentleman of her choice. Blugh! I found that entire notion revolting, but maybe I was just ahead of my time in thinking that.

          I eventually found my way to the garden terrace, taking in the night air. My dress practically shined in the moonlight; the sea foam green silk fabric looking as if it became white beneath its glow. There were others out on the terrace as well, but I couldn’t help but feel as if someone was watching me from a distance. I turned and looked around and saw, just a few feet behind me on the other side of the terrace, was a man standing in the shadows near one of the glass doors. Dressed in tails of ebony black, he stared at me with crystalline blue eyes, ones that seemed to pierce my soul deep into my core. I felt myself drawn to him, and as if in a dreamlike trance, I slowly began to walk to him.

         Suddenly, when I was almost standing near him, he turned and walked down the nearby staircase that led to the garden below. I gasped, wondering if he had no interest in wanting to speak to me. I continued over to where he stood and looked over the balcony; there he was, standing right at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at me. He raised a hand and beckoned me down to him. My breath caught in my throat as he did this for I have never encountered this kind of action from a person, let alone a man in my life. It was all new, and quite exciting! Without hesitation, I descended the staircase, gaining speed with each step I took but also minding not to trip and fall. The last thing I needed was to completely embarrass myself in front of this man upon our first meeting as well as risk breaking every bone in my body! By the time I reached the bottom, the mysterious stranger was gone again, or so I had thought.

         “My lady,” I heard a voice whisper.

          I jumped at this sound. The voice, although it had its hints of darkness to it, was utterly gentle and flowed on the light breeze like a stream. This voice must have come from the man! I looked around to see where it had come from; I could not see anyone around where I stood. I walked for a small bit until I came upon the garden’s very large maze, and I decided to stay there to look around. Perhaps the man was close by, waiting for me.

          Suddenly, the voice came again, only this time it was in a normal tone. “My lady, _over here_.”

         I turned to see the man standing in the entrance way of the maze, his eyes sparkling in the moon’s glow. I smiled, approaching him with an excited gait, when he suddenly ran off into the maze. How dare this man tease me like this! Well, if it was a game that he wished to play, then it would be a game that I would join and also win! I went off into the maze as well, going to the right and ran for a minute, using my instincts and turning around any corner I could. I called out for him to come out, wanting desperately to gaze upon him again and believing this was a form of torment. Suddenly, I heard footsteps just a few feet ahead of me and decided to follow them. When I came closer to them, it turns out that I was led towards a dead end. I felt as if I was never going to find him at this point.

         But just when I was ready to give up, I looked up to find the man staring at me, his lips curled in a triumphant smirk and a low laugh coming from his throat. As I was about to confront him, he took off again! This was certainly not fair, and I was not going to let him get away with this! I ran as far as my shoes could take me, trying to keep up with him as I heard his footsteps hit the grass. I eventually found myself at the heart of the maze, with its magnificent fountain, stone benches, elegant red rose bushes, and bronze statues of nude males and females. It was truly a world of fantasy for anyone who came there. The only problem I faced was the grave matter of trying to find the man at this rate. I sat down along the fountain’s edge, and looked up at the top of it to see a small statue of the Cupid, with his bow at the ready to strike a man so he may find his true love. Call me a romantic, but it intrigued me to believe that the man was interested in me and he would not have made me chase him into here for any other reason.

        “A lovely evening isn’t it, my lady?” a voice said from behind.

         I turned, and sighed contently, for there was the man standing a foot behind me. I now had a better look at this beautiful stranger, since both of us were stationary in this place. He had an extremely pale complexion; a thin, yet muscular frame that outlined the suit he wore beautifully; and midnight black hair that reminded me of black stones you find glistening on the beach after the tide has gone out. It must also be noted that he looked older than me, probably by perhaps ten years, but he was still older than I. And that certainly enthralled me! I knew I had to respond, for me simply gazing at him could have made the wrong impression!

        “Yes…yes, it is a lovely evening.” My voice was hardly a whisper, and yet lighter than normal tone. How I spoke like this I will never know, but it was not by my will that I spoke like this…

        He smiled at me and slowly began to approach. Normally in a situation like this, I would have run off, too embarrassed to have conversations with men who were as old and handsome as this man. But I felt as if all the muscles in my body had forgotten how to function for I remained still as he came closer to me. When he finally stood in front of me, he loomed almost eerily like a dark tower over me, and kept his hands locked behind his back. His eyes were once more locked on my face and I could not help but look into them.

      “And may I ask as to why a young woman such as yourself is roaming the party alone?” he asked, his voice once again flowing over me like dark water.

        I cast my eyes to the ground, trying to regain a sense of composure as I tried to form a complete answer in my brain. For some reason, I found myself losing touch with reality around this man. It was as if he had an unearthly aura about him, one that possessed innocent minds into a place of naughty fantasies!

       “I-well…” I began, now standing up to see if I could let my brain flow, “I wasn’t alone. I came with a friend-my friend, and well, she went off on her own. And I just found myself walking around alone; it’s not a bad thing! Really, I do like to be alone sometimes, and I…”

       I had to stop myself for two reasons. One, I had begun to ramble and it was so unladylike of me! The second reason was that I suddenly noticed that the man began to circle me. It was almost as if I had become his prey in that one moment, and I learned from many of my female acquaintances that if a man did something like this with no other witnesses around, it only meant that he had one thing on his mind and it certainly wasn’t asking me out for a lunch date!

      “S-sir,” I whispered timidly, looking up to see he stood in front of me once again. Slowly, he took up one of my gloved hands, placed it to his lips and kissed it. I let out a breath that I just realized I had been holding; never in my life had I ever had this happen to me, but it felt lovely regardless!

     He smiled. “There is no need to fret, my dear. And I am glad that you are alone. That means I am free to ask you to walk with me. Would you like to?”

     My eyes widened. Usually men, even ones close to my age, never asked me to walk with them. It was all foreign and strange for me since those who had the chance to have intimate time with a man were great beauties, something that I was not. Although everyone said I had great potential to be pretty, I was indeed very ordinary in my looks. But perhaps this man was different, and maybe he saw something in me that was not ordinary, but very beautiful indeed. Whatever possessed him to do this, it made me feel like I was caught up in a dream.

      I agreed to walk with him, and he smirked, his eyes softening with content. He held out his arm to me and I slowly placed mine in the crook of his. He led me out of the maze’s center and we walked back into the labyrinth, trying to find the way out. He began to inquire where I grew up, since he noted that I did not have a British accent. I told him I was born in America, specifically Boston, Massachusetts, where my father owned a successful jewelry and silver business for the upper crust of the city. When I was five, he was offered a deal to open a sister business in London with a fellow businessman and friend, which he accepted instantly. We settled in --- and lived there ever since. I went into telling him how my mother was a homemaker as well as an amateur dressmaker, my father still owned the jewelry company, and how I was a piano tutor for the children who lived in our neighborhood. However, I stopped myself and apologized, realizing I had possibly told too much about myself and did not even let my companion get a word in edge wise!

      He chuckled, and said I should not feel sorry for telling him about my life. After all, he did ask me about it. “However,” he continued, “you should forgive me since I have not even introduced myself yet. My name is Thomas.”

       “Such a charming name,” I said turning to him.

       "Thank you. And may I ask your name?”

         I turned my eyes to the ground for a moment before looking back into his eyes. “It is Victoria,” I said softly, embarrassed at how ordinary it was, especially in this time. With our queen, almost everyone who had a baby girl named her after the reigning royal, so it did not feel as unique anymore. But Thomas smiled, seeing that my cheeks were becoming flushed pink and he kissed my hand again.

        “Such a lovely name,” he whispered, “for a lovely young woman.”

       “Oh, goodness! Sir, you are being too kind!” I responded with a laugh, “I am not that lovely!”

        Thomas’ eyes widened a bit, and his bottom lip opened slightly as if he was in shock. “How can you say that?” he asked, “You are certainly the loveliest woman I have ever laid eyes on in my life.”

       I smirked and shook my head as a form of protest, but he stopped me, saying that I didn’t see how beautiful I truly was. “And how beautiful am I?” I asked, turning myself away from his gaze, my back to him. I suddenly felt his hands rest upon my upper arm, and I shuddered. While I did not notice it before, I soon realized that his hands were very cold, almost like ice. However, it was not a very cold night, and it did not make sense as to why his hands felt that way. That thought soon faded from my mind as he began to speak again, his voice low and hushed, flowing like dark honey in my ear.

       “I will show you how beautiful you are, my dear. First, your skin; it is so pale, like the first snowfall of a winter evening.”

        He then took his left hand and slowly removed my glove from mine. As he did this, he brought his other hand up my other arm and onto my collarbone. He carefully brought his fingers along my neck, caressing every line and curve it offered. He hummed in some kind of approval I did not understand just yet. “And your skin is so soft, so delicate. Have you done anything to it?”

        He began to intertwine the fingers of his left hand with my fingers as his right hand moved from my neck back to my arm, and he removed my other glove in the same fashion. I managed to get a look at his hand as it teased around my fingertips. His hands were flawless except for the pale vein lines that protruded out, and his fingers were long and delicate. They were perfectly shaped without any deformity; never had I seen anything so beautiful in my whole life.

       “Nothing,” I managed to finally say, “I have not done anything with my skin.”

       “Hmmm…” When he did this, I slowly felt my left hand lifted from my side up to his nose, and he inhaled deeply and slowly. Chuckling, he finally said “You smell so sweet, like lavender and rosebuds after the rainfall.”

        My breath caught in my throat when he said this. This felt so strange, and yet, it felt so wonderful. As he raised my other hand to take in my scent again, I sighed, beginning to feel strange as my heart began to beat faster and my head began to feel light. Whatever this was, it was all very strange, especially considering we were practically out in the open, where anyone could come upon us if we were not careful. It would also mean that if we were caught, our moment of intimacy would be ruined! Somehow, I think he could feel my secret anxiety of being caught for out of nowhere he gently grabbed my wrists, turned me around and led me to a secret niche in the maze’s passageways. I found myself giggling at this action instead of being afraid, for it was as if Thomas wanted me to feel safe instead of feeling like I would be in danger with him. He placed me against the bushes with the moonlight above me, glowing along my body. But because the moonlight was completely on me, Thomas was now in shadow, looking very intimidating since the only places the moonlight hit on his face were his cheekbones and the pupils of his eyes.

      “Now let’s see,” he whispered above me, “what else about you is lovely?” He brought his right hand under my chin and lifted my head just a tiny bit. I closed my eyes and embraced his icy touch and the feeling of his dark gaze.

      “You have the gentlest face I have ever seen,” he began, “Round and rosy cheeked; it is certainly very rare for a young woman like yourself. All of the women I have encountered have very angular, pointed features, and look like evil witches if you ask me!”

       I gently laughed at this for he was right! All the aristocratic women I knew were very thin and angled in their looks. Even Evangeline had a pointed, upturned nose that looked as if she always smelled something that was decaying in front of her. And (with the exception of my friend) it made them look very unpleasant at some point in their lives.

      Seeing I was slowly becoming more comfortable in his presence, Thomas continued. “You, my dear, are not like those other girls. Yes, you are the exact opposite! Your soft and round complexion is like a breath of fresh air in this world. You are like an angel, who has fallen from her heavenly cloud to the earth. You only live to enchant gentlemen worthy of your sweet touch…”

      I smiled at this, and opened my eyes slowly. He then cupped his icy hands along my cheeks and inched his face closer to mine. I felt my legs quiver and the air caught in my throat as I felt his breath grazing my face. This was becoming so much for me to handle, but I refused for it to end!

     “And your eyes! Oh, your eyes! I have never seen anything like them. What color are they? Green? Brown?”

      I laughed. “They are hazel! Not many girls I know have hazel eyes; they are very rare for girls in upper class statuses.”

      He lifted my face towards the moonlight, taking in my eye color even further. From the corner of my eye, I could see him smirking deviously. “Indeed, my sweetling. I have heard that only those with hazel eyes always are more mysterious than others. Do you know why?”

      I shook my head “no”.

      “Because those with eyes like yours represent the mysteries that lie within their hearts. They always have a secret to hold deep within the chambers of their soul. And with the amount of color within the iris, that equals the amount of secrets that lie inside.”

      I trembled at this. His words began ringing in my ears as the warm feeling in my core began to rise. It was too late to realize that he was indeed seducing me and there was no way to stop him now! As his breath now glided over my lips, I knew in that moment I was in his power. Curiously and lustfully, I responded “And how many secrets can you see in my eyes?”

      His hands let go of my face, only to envelop my body as he pulled me away from the bushes. One arm wrapped around me as his other hand grasped my chin once more; he held me very tightly as he leaned over me. I could once more see his porcelain face and glistening eyes, now almost black with desire.

      “I see many secrets in your enchanting eyes, my sweetling,” he whispered, “but that only means I can unlock each one…if you allow me to?”

       I felt my eyelids flutter wildly; never had I felt so enthralled by anyone in my life! At that moment, I didn’t care if this man wanted me for a stolen evening or for a lifetime. All I wanted was him in this moment! I closed my eyes anticipating his lips to touch mine, and as fate would have it, he obliged. Slowly, he leaned in, and as I felt his lips brush upon mine, a noise came from the night air. It was voice calling my name, and I suddenly realized it was my friend looking for me. As I tried to free myself, Thomas quickly leaned me right upright and let me go as I began to run off towards Evangeline.

       “My lady!” he whispered, a hand reaching out towards me.

      I turned and begged him to stay and wait for me, for I would only be a moment. I turned the corner to discover that we were not far from the entrance of the maze. From a few feet away, I could see Evangeline approaching the maze and when she saw me, she gave a cheery wave. As she came closer, I noticed her auburn hair was starting to come out of her elaborate design her maid created and her lips were a touch out of place in its painted detail. It seems as though she had an interesting night!

     “There you are!” she exclaimed, “I have been looking everywhere for you! What on earth are you doing in here? And where are you gloves?”

      My eyes widened. I looked down and saw my ungloved hands. Realizing I had left them on the ground in the maze, my cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment again.

       “It’s a long story,” I said at last.

       “Well, no matter! I can certainly say I had an eventful evening as well, so I don’t blame you in the least! But go and get your gloves; both of our dreary mothers want us home before midnight, so we must indulge them.”

       I turned and went back into the maze, wanting to say good night to lovely Thomas. But when I returned to where we were, all that remained were my gloves neatly folded on the ground and a single pink and white rose lying on top of them. I looked around to see if he was concealing himself, but it seemed he really left. I was dreadfully sad he could not stay, but as I pressed the rose to my lips and inhaled its sweet scent, I could feel deep within my heart that our paths would cross again.


	2. Tea at Wellington Manor

            Two days later, Evangeline and I were invited for afternoon tea at Lady Wellington’s home. She had become enchanted by us after we officially met the evening of her ball, and she wanted to make a more intimate acquaintance. She had her private carriage drive us from our homes in central London to her manor in the countryside, and it was certainly a treat for the both of us. Along the way, I discussed my strange evening with Evangeline, who had been begging me since Sunday to tell her all the details. I simply told her I was with a man in Lady Wellington’s garden maze, which eventually led to me confessing what _really_ happened in the maze.

            “And he wasn’t even there to say good-bye?” she inquired when I finished saying how Thomas was gone when I returned, “He was simply…gone?”

            “Vanished,” I confirmed, “It was as if he disappeared into thin air!”

            “How intriguing! A man, whom you have no idea where he is from or who he is, steals you away from the ball, entices you with charming words, and steals a kiss from you! Uh, it is like the romance stories I read, only this was real! You honestly do not know how lucky you are.”

            I smiled. “Quite like your stories. And I told you, it was hardly a kiss. More like a…a grazing of lips.”

            Evangeline giggled. “If your lips touched, I say it was a kiss regardless!”

            She then went off into a gossiped story of how one of our acquaintances, Emily Browning, had apparently had a scandalous and embarrassing night at the party, but I eventually found myself staring out the window of the carriage, lost in my private thoughts. To be quite honest, ever since the party, they always turned to the man in ebony black tails, with shimmering blue eyes. Thoughts like these usually only happened in ladies who were hopeless romantics, ones who had sweethearts and could have the time to think about their beaus or their loved ones. I just did not see myself as one of those people. Sure I was a romantic, but not a completely hopeless one, and I wasn’t even sure if I was falling in love with this man. Of course there was admiration and enthrallment, but that never could become anything more; at least, that is what I was always taught.

            We finally arrived at Lady Wellington’s manor and, as we stepped from the carriage, we were greeted by the lady of the house herself. She was a very short and thin woman, aged in her late forties with freckles lightly dotting her nose and cheeks, laugh lines around her dainty mouth, and a head full of very light blonde hair (whether she dyed it or not was a complete mystery among the London elite, but it was lovely none the less). She invited us into her home and immediately ushered us onto the terrace where the gathering would commence. I noticed that the pure white clothed table had more than three chairs and place settings set at it, and I asked if there would be others joining us.

            “Oh yes!” Lady Wellington exclaimed, her voice as light as a bell, “My son and a colleague of his will be joining us this afternoon, and they should be here any moment. But please, do sit down! Can I have our butler get you anything?”

            We both asked for water, and Lady Wellington assured us it would be out soon. She excused herself, saying she had to go over details with the cook, and left us to enjoy the scenery. Evangeline put a hand to her brow and looked up the sky; today had turned out to be quite overcast with, as it appeared, a threat of storm clouds far on the horizon. She wrinkled her nose in

            “I do hope it doesn’t rain,” she confessed, “This is certainly a terrible day for an afternoon tea outside. Why on earth would someone have a tea outside when the sky is just this overcast?”

            “I actually quite like days like this,” I lightly protested, “It is a nice break from all of the sunlight we have had.”

            “Well if it starts to pour buckets on us, you can have my sopping wet tea cakes.”

            We shared a laugh as the butler brought out two crystal goblets of water. As we sipped, Evangeline began to tell me how her sister had to pick out a fabric for her new gown that she would wear for her debut into society. As she explained all the “agonizing” details, I suddenly heard Lady Wellington’s voice from inside the house, and I assumed the other guests had arrived. From where I was seated, I could see three silhouettes in the windows as they walked towards the terrace doors. One of the glass doors finally opened and the three stepped out. I suddenly felt as if my heart stopped for my eyes set upon the man who walked behind Lady Wellington and the first young man I could only guess was her son. Pale porcelain skin, the shining black hair, the beautiful cheekbones. It was Thomas!

            I felt as if I was dreaming and I was about to wake up at any second. There was no probable chance that he could be here, in this moment! I was shocked by the fact our paths were crossing once again so soon. But here he was, approaching the table, and about to have tea with the rest of us. However, I was now secretly wishing it would be just us.

            “Ladies,” Lady Wellington said in an almost sing-song voice, “may I formally introduce my very lovely and charming son, Arthur Alexander.”

            “Oh, mother, really!” he responded, sounding a bit embarrassed, “She always introduces me as if I am a duke of some province. Really I am just plain Arthur.”

            Evangeline let out a nasal, high pitched giggle. “Oh my! Well, _I_ think you are certainly _not_ plain at all. In fact, you seem quite extraordinary!”

            As she lifted her hand for him to kiss, I could immediately see the familiar twinkle in her eyes, the one that she got when she was about to begin her game of flirting. Lady Wellington introduced us both with a kind of flair as if we were countesses from Russia, but it was kind regardless. As Arthur kissed my hand, I could not help but notice that he was a good-looking gentleman as well. He had lovely peach colored skin, wavy chestnut brown locks, and a shining pair of green eyes. He was about the same height as Thomas, and he wore a dark navy suit with a cream dress shirt and a black tie. Finally, Arthur turned back towards Thomas, and I knew the moment I had been waiting for had arrived!

            “And, ladies, may I also introduce my colleague, as well as my dear friend, Mr. Thomas Blaxton.”

            I tried so hard to keep from smiling like a mad woman, but what resulted was a subtle smile that curled across my lips as he stepped forward. He was dressed almost entirely in black except for his stark white dress shirt and the silver chain that hung from his waistcoat pocket (a pocket watch, I assumed). It was then that I noticed he was wearing something that was unique and quite unusual on his face. Over his eyes, he wore glasses with dark-colored lenses that were only available to those who suffered from a medical condition of the eyes. Could it be there was something wrong? _The poor dear_ , I thought.

            Thomas took Evangeline’s hand first (she was closer, so I gave her that benefit) and kissed it slowly. It was then that I noticed something odd came over her. She shivered when he took her hand, and when he said that he was pleased to meet her, her eyes changed from their shining copper brown to become more dull and somber, as if all the happiness in her was gone. She whispered a “thank you,” and practically turned away from him as fast as she could. Finally, he turned to me, a smile forming across his lips. I could not help, but grin back as well as feel myself blush at the same time. He gently took my hand, and I sighed, for he still had his icy touch.

            “How wonderful it is to see you again, my dear,” he said in a warm fashion and he pressed his cold lips to my hand in a tender kiss.

            “I am just as happy to see you as well,” I responded, yearning to look at his wonderful blue eyes.

Before we could sit down again, Lady Wellington made the announcement that the afternoon tea was to be moved indoors to the parlour, since she feared rainfall would occur. As we made our way into the home, I tried to walk beside Thomas, but Evangeline pulled me by her side, forcing me to walk with her. Our group finally reached the parlour and we settled on the loveseat while the two gentlemen sat in chairs across from us and with the lady of the house seated in the middle. Lady Wellington started the conversation by noting that Thomas and I had already met.

            “Why yes,” Thomas answered, “We had the pleasure of meeting at your ball two nights ago, and we had the most wonderful time exploring your garden.”

            As they continued, Evangeline leaned into my ear. “Oh, so this is the man you were talking about!”

            I turned and nodded. “Isn’t he charming?”

            “Well, to be honest, I did not expect him to be so…how should I put it? So… _dark_?”

            “What do you mean?”

            “Have you seen what he is wearing? Who on earth wears black on a Monday afternoon when going to tea? It just doesn’t seem right!”

            I shushed her, for her voice was starting to become louder than a mere whisper, and I turned both of us back to the conversation, which turned to how the garden maze came about, which Lady Wellington was more than happy to share the origin. I don’t even think she took breaths in as she explained since she was so excited!

            “I actually had a garden architect come in from France to landscape the entire space, including the building of the maze. And you will love this discovery I learned! Apparently, he came from the same family who cared for the royal gardens at Versailles during the reign of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, can you imagine?”

            Evangeline and I were fascinated by this, but I could tell the two gentlemen had lost interest. So, I decided to bring the conversation to all of us.

            “So since we are on the subject of working on something, Arthur, your mother has told me you have a job?”

            “Why yes,” he said, beaming that the subject had changed, “both Thomas and I are lawyers in London. I handle all the gritty and exciting cases in the courts, while my colleague finds his thrills in being an estate lawyer, taking care of wills and deeds.”

            “Someone must do it,” Thomas responded, “And it can have its exciting moments as well.”

            As we continued on this subject, the tea and food arrived. Lady Wellington thanked the butler, and offered to pour our tea for us. We each gratefully took our cups full of the hot liquid and began to help ourselves to the appetizing sweets and sandwiches. But as she was about to pour a cup for Thomas, he stopped her.

            “Forgive me, but is there any chance that I may just have a cup of hot water?”

            “Of-of course,” she said after a short pause. She rung for the butler, and when he arrived, told him to make a pot of plain hot water for Mr. Blaxton. When he left, the conversation continued, but not in the way I expected it to.

            “So, Mr. Blaxton,” Evangeline began.

            He cut her off. “Thomas, please.”

            She jumped a little when he corrected her, her nose becoming red with embarrassment. “Oh, well, Thomas. I usually never do this, but I have to ask. Why do you wear those medical spectacles? Especially since we are indoors now?

            I almost spat my tea out. How could she even dare to ask him that? That was a private matter of his, and perhaps he did not want to explain it. I shot her a shocked look, which she responded with a shrug.

            “Hmm, I was wondering when one of you ladies would inquire to these. Well, to put it simply, I was born with a rare medical condition that makes me very photosensitive, or I like to make it, the sunlight and I have a very difficult relationship.”

            I giggled, and I realized that I was the only one who responded to the last part of his explanation. I silenced myself, only to look up to see Thomas smiling at me. At least, I think he smiled at me; I wasn’t completely sure.

            He then continued. “Ever since then, I have learned what I can take during the day and what I cannot. Therefore, I have to wear these spectacles at all times in all places to keep from destroying my eyesight. I can go out when days are overcast; however when the sun is completely out, I cannot go outside.”

            “My god,” I whispered, “That sounds terrible. How do you work then?”

            “Simple. I arrive at the office before sunrise and I leave at sunset. To visit with clients, I do go out, but I have to enter the carriage quickly. Visiting clients with a sun rash isn’t always pleasant.

            I held in my giggle this time, but could tell that some of the people around me had smiles on their faces. I was completely in awe that Thomas could make small quips at his condition. I could tell that, while he took his condition seriously, he also did not let it define him; that was something I found charming and attractive. As we continued to talk, the butler arrived with a small teapot, no doubt filled with the plain water. He placed it on the table in front of Thomas, and returned to his duties. While the conversation continued, I couldn’t help but watch Thomas pour his tea. His long fingers gracefully handling the teapot as he poured the steaming liquid into the porcelain teacup. For some odd reason, it enthralled me to watch this every day action become a kind of ceremony performed in my presence.

It was in that moment that he pulled a small black bottle from his pocket and removed the cork. He carefully tipped the bottle over the cup and out came a thin line of dark liquid that landed into the water. I wasn’t sure if my eyes played tricks on me or not, but as the liquid dispersed in the glass, I noticed that it had a dark rust color to it. A second later, Thomas took up the teaspoon next to the teapot and added two spoonfuls of sugar to his drink. As he stirred, I looked around to see if anyone else had noticed this act; Arthur looked as if he was enthralled in Evangeline’s conversation, but when I looked to Lady Wellington, I could see that her eyes were wide as she flicked her eyes from Arthur and Evangeline to Thomas’ teacup, and back again. Perhaps she saw it too? Perhaps I wasn’t going insane? 

            It was at that same time that I began to hear the hard pattering of rain hit the windows of the house, which brought me back to a sense of reality. I shook the thought from my head, and placed my own teacup on the table for fear I might drop it and ruin the beautiful rug beneath me. I touched my forehead, realizing I felt a bit light headed, and found beads of sweat forming along my skin.

            “Is everything all right, dear?” Lady Wellington asked me.

            “Yes,” I whispered, “I think so. It’s just…oh, it is just that my head feels a little strange.”

            She felt my forehead, and cheeks. She could feel the sweat as well. “Perhaps you just need some air. Since it is raining, why don’t you go into my indoor greenhouse? It is right across the way, in the library through the wooden door.”

            I thanked her, and excused myself. I approached the door, and slowly opened it. As I exited, I could feel something against me; naturally, it wasn’t anything physical, but I felt as if someone was intently staring at me from a distance. I let out a deep sigh as I closed the door behind me. Only then did the feeling disappear.


	3. The Second Encounter

           I slowly walked across the hall towards the library, and cracked open the door. I looked inside to see if anyone was inside, for I wanted to be as quiet as possible and avoid disturbing them. I lucked out for there was no one inside; all around the dark room, there were large bookcases filled with leather bound books that looked as if they had been here for quite some time. Along the walls, there were portraits of relatives who had once walked the halls of this manor, rested in the bedrooms, read from these very books. It was almost like stepping into the past.

            It was then that I noticed another door exactly opposite from the one I entered. That must have been the door that led to the attached greenhouse. I closed the door behind me, and made my way to the other. When I reached it, I slowly turned the knob and opened the door. The difference between the greenhouse and the lobby was like night and day. The greenhouse was glass enclosed, with white iron used for holding the glass in place. I slowly descended the steps into the magnificent space. All around were beautiful green plants and colorful flowers native to England in this space; it smelled so incredibly sweet! Although some of the windows were open, it wasn’t too cold in the space and the sound of the rain as it hit the glass was almost soothing.

            I found myself sitting on a wrought iron bench in the space in front of a very large rose bush. I cupped one of the white roses closest to me in my hand, and inhaled the wonderful scent. I had never felt so at peace here; the last thing I wanted to do was leave and return to the afternoon tea. Nothing could have made this anymore wonderful than it already was.

            I suddenly heard a loud slam within the peaceful space. I jumped and turned in my seated place to find that I was no longer alone.

            “I…came to see of you were all right,” Thomas said in a low voice.

            For a moment, I could not speak. I actually had to pinch myself to see if I had fallen asleep in the greenhouse; this seemed too unreal for him to be here.

            “Yes,” I whispered, “yes, I do feel a little better. Lady Wellington was right; all I really needed was some air.”

            He smiled and walked down the steps with a graceful descent. As he approached, it was as if he could feel how my heart began to beat a little faster, how my heart did this when he was in my presence. I had to calm myself; I had only been with this man twice, and therefore, shouldn’t have these feelings so quickly.

            “May I join you?” he asked, pointing to the empty place on the bench.

            I hesitated. Should I let him join me? Should I let myself be alone with this strange man once again? What else could I do? I nodded, and he settled by my side. We were both silent for a moment, probably waiting for the other one to speak. It almost felt agonizing knowing he was just a few inches from me, probably wanting to make his move. I glanced over at him with just my eyes; he sat up straight, as straight as his body could form with one hand on both knees, and sat as far away from the bench’s backing as possible. He looked like a prince sitting upon his throne, ready to take command over his kingdom. Very enthralling indeed!

            “Do you always admire someone like that?” he finally said. How could he know I was looking at him? I looked at him fully with complete shock, believing I insulted him by not saying anything, but just staring at him like he was an animal.

            He turned his head slowly towards me, his mouth like a thin line.

            “I…I wasn’t admiring,” I confessed (although that was a complete lie), “I was just…looking. There is a difference after all.”

            His line of a mouth curled into a smile and he softly chuckled. As he turned himself towards me, I could help but feel my head becoming light again. Was it that Thomas was making me feel this way? It seemed utterly odd, but it was a thought that I kept in the back of my mind.

            “You have to forgive me,” I said softly, “I am…not used to being around…so many people at once, let alone men such as yourself.”

            “My dear, there is no need for apology,” Thomas responded, “In fact, I completely understand the notion of being suffocated by too many people.”

            I was surprised when he said this, but then I thought how right he was. I didn’t find him among the many guests in the ballroom during the party; I found him in a secluded corner, where he must have found solitude from the chaos in the manor, just as I had done. Although it seemed strange, it did make so much sense.

            “How strange,” I said, “you do not like crowded spaces either?”

            He shook his head. “I prefer spaces that are quieter, and contain the best loneliness, solitude as possible. And it is good to know that there are those who can partake in the same idea of comfort in being alone.”

            Did he mean me when he said that last part? Now this man was starting to become intriguing in his words. 

            “Perhaps we were supposed to find each other that night?” I wondered out loud, “If we both avoided the crowded party, then perhaps it was only destined that we meet.”

            He smiled, and tilted his head downward. I could see his eyes now from the top of the shades, and while they were still blue, they seemed to shine like glass against the light greenhouse.

            “That seems like a very mystical notion,” he whispered, leaning back up with his eyes returning behind the darkened glass, “Do you really believe in…supernatural matters like that?”

            I looked down, somewhat ashamed for saying that. Although topics such as history fascinated me, I also liked to learn about the mysterious things in life, such as supernatural matter and magic. But that was something almost never taken seriously with some; perhaps Thomas was one of those people. I felt stupid for speaking my thoughts.

            “You’re right,” I said, “I am probably just making myself believe in something that is not real. I mean, no one I know believes in that nonsense, why should I? I fantasize too much…”

            I suddenly felt two fingers tuck under my chin and have my head turned back towards Thomas. “You have no reason to feel ashamed about what you believe in, and I don’t think you fantasize too much. Frankly, I think what you said is completely fascinating!”

            “You hardly know me-"

            “That doesn’t mean I can’t make a true observation.”

            He removed his fingers, and stood up, walking over to the other end of the greenhouse where he stopped in front of another rose bush. This one had blood red ones that were scattered along it.  He turned and looked at me; without saying a word, I knew he wanted me to follow him. Slowly, I got up from my place and walked towards him. Standing by his side, I began to feel a pull between our two bodies, soft at first but growing as we continued to stand.

            “Have you ever noticed how flowers tend have the same look, repeating in each consecutive color, fragrance, even down to their stems?” he said, lightly caressing his fingers over the buds and fully bloomed roses.

            I nodded, although very confused as to where he was going with this.

            “But then you have flowers that steer away from the normal status and they become something unique. While they are part of the grouping, they have their own nature and their own beauty. Like this little one, come and look.”

            He led me to the underside of the rose bush, and there lay a rose with qualities of the white and red combined. It looked as if blood had dripped onto the pure white flower, making it wonderfully macabre. Thomas’ fingers carefully wrapped around part of the stem, and with a little twisting, removed it. I turned to look at it fully in his hands, and took a deep drag of it; it smelled divine!

            As Thomas took a drag of his own, he added, “Some people tend to discard roses like these, but I certainly think they have a place in the world.”

            Then, he slowly brought it to my hair and gently found a place for it to sit. “Would you have dinner with me?”

            I looked up, shocked by what he had just asked. “I’m s-sorry. I don’t think I heard you correctly; did you just ask me if I wanted to have dinner with you?”

            “I did,” he said, his face like stone work. He was completely serious!

            I blushed, naturally! What was I supposed to say? Yes, or no, though maybe could have worked in this situation…

            “I…I would, it’s just…strange that you would ask _me_ to go with you.”

            His brow scrunched in confusion. “Why is it strange? You are a lovely young woman, and I wish to know you more. If that is all right, of course?”

            I looked at him once more. Yes, I did have feelings for this man, and yes I did want to know him better, but I was scared since I had never went out with a man like him before. No not before, _ever_! I would not know what to do with myself! What if I made a complete dunce of myself while we were out?

            As if he sensed my fear, he took my hand into his large ones. “There is nothing to fear, Victoria. I would truly love it if you could join me for dinner, but if you say no, I will understand and I will make an effort to do something else with you.”

            Once he said that and I saw his sincere smile cross his lips, what else could I do?

            “Very well,” I said, my own smile coming through, “I would love to have dinner with you.”

            His smile turned into a grin and he thanked me for taking up his request. “I will come to your home…how does Saturday evening sound? Seven o’clock?”

            I nodded eagerly. In an almost unladylike fashion, I pulled a pencil and paper from my skirt pocket (I always kept these things on hand if ever I had something that needed to be written down) and wrote down my address for him. He chuckled at this as he took the note, and promised that he would not lose it. As I was about to let go, his fingers grazed over mine as he slowly lifted my hand to his lips once more. This kiss to my hand was long and intimate, and I felt so warm in my core.

             “Perhaps we should return to the tea,” he suggested.

            I sighed. “I suppose…”

            We both walked reluctantly out of the greenhouse and made our way to the parlour. My heart was a complete flutter, for I was now being courted by a handsome suitor. It was all so strange, but I let it sink in and began to fall evermore in love with the idea that turned to reality.

           ………………………………………………………………………………………………

            That evening after dinner, Mother and I had tea and sat by the fire talking about the day while Father sat in his red velvet chair reading the evening newspaper. Although I was close with both parents, Mother always seemed to know me the best. She knew my strengths and weaknesses as if they were her own, she knew how to calm me in my hour of need, and she could help me solve the most difficult of situations. But if there was one thing my mother did not agree with me, it certainly was the topic of love and marriage.

            She always loved to tell me who was about to get married within the London social circles and which ones we would be invited to. I always found weddings of the social class to be completely dull and overbearing! For one thing, hardly anyone married for love; it was just so that money could be kept within the families. And then there were the details put into the wedding. Everyone had white in their ensembles; white flowers, white gowns, white churches, etc, etc, etc! It was as if they were following each other’s choices because they could not decide on their own! I found all of this ridiculous, but my mother loved each part of it, so I had to listen.

         “You will never guess who got engaged now,” she said to me this evening, our conversation turning from one that I started about the factories in London.

            “Margret de Lancey,” I said with a sigh and sipping my tea.

               “Oh really, Victoria. How did you know that already?”

            “Because it was in this morning’s papers. In the Social section.

           “Since when do you read the newspapers?” she asked, adding more tea to her cup.

           “Since I could read. I always find something interesting in the readings; the world, the facts, and things close to home. I always have something to look forward to when I read them,” I explained, my voice becoming excited with every word.

            She adjusted herself into the chair. “You sound like your father.”

            “And that is not a bad thing,” Father chimed in looking up from the paper, “she learned from the best.”

           He winked at me as I took another sip of my tea. If ever I had a disagreement with Mother, Father was always there to back me up.

            “Well, she also has the charm of her mother, so it is a win-win, I suppose,” she turned back to me, “Now, tell me about Lady Wellington’s tea. Was it lovely?”

              I nodded. “It was quite nice, and she was kind. We also met her son, Arthur, and he was nice…I also met someone else.”

            My mother’s eyes perked up a bit, knowing something I probably didn’t.

            “Who may I ask did you meet?”

            I was so embarrassed to tell her about Thomas, but I sucked in my fear and explained who he was and how he asked me to have dinner with him on Saturday evening. As soon as I mentioned the dinner part, she coughed out her tea a little bit. Setting her cup down, she said “Now Victoria, you know how I feel about you going out with someone I do not know-"

             “But Mother, he is such a lovely man! And he was so kind, and I just want to have this night out alone.”

             “I understand that, but I…we hardly know this person. Does he even have a job? And what is his last name?”

             “His name is Thomas Blaxton, and he is an estate lawyer. He takes care of deeds and wills, etc. I know I do not know much about him, but he is just so lovely, and that only means I want to know him better! Didn’t Father take you out when you were my age?”

              “Yes, but my parents knew what family he came from, and anyway, you cannot go; we have dinner at the Radcliffe’s on Saturday. You can talk with Edmund while we are there.”

            God, not Edmund Radcliffe! If there was any male name that I did not wish to hear, it was that one. I groaned, “Mother, not Edmund. You know I don’t care for him!”

           “Why not? He is a very nice boy and has a successful career ahead of him working at his father’s bookstore.”

             “Yes, but he is so…dull! I cannot even have a decent, smart conversation with him; he always ends up talking about his stupid key collection. And he smells!

             “Victoria!”

            “Well he does! He smells like…wet grass!”

            Father chuckled when I said that, and Mother and I turned to him. “Would you like to add something to the conversation, Richard?” she asked smugly.

            He smirked and put down his paper. “Well, Erica, no. However, I will say this. Victoria is in her twenties, and she is a smart girl. I think in this man, Thomas, she has found something that she likes and we should not let her avoid that. Besides, it is 1890, ten years until the turn of the century. She should not have to wait for us to make a connection with a man. She is more than capable of finding him on her own.”

            Father knew what I was trying to tell Mother, but now, I think it was going to be much clearer for her. If it wasn’t, I was going to have to spend the evening around a boy who smelled of wet nature and talks about keys from the Middle Ages. A look of debating crossed her face until she finally came out with, “Well…very well. I will let you go this time, but under a few conditions, I wish to meet this Thomas Blaxton within the few days after your evening out. And I am not buying you a new dress; you can wear one of your old ones, he won’t know the difference. If something needs to be tailored, so be it.”

             I squealed with delight and embraced my mother fully. “Thank you! Thank you, Mother! You won’t regret this. I’m going upstairs to try on dresses, oh this is wonderful!”

             As I was leaving, I turned and gave my father a kiss on the cheek.

            He chuckled and rubbed the spot where my lips hit. “Well, what is that for?” he asked.

            I put my arms around his body and said, “For being my support, you should consider becoming a lawyer yourself.” And with that, I went upstairs. I could not wait to see what gowns would make a perfect date dress. This was going to be a wonderful next few days!

……………………………………………………………………………………

         The next day, I invited Evangeline over to have her assist me in choosing the right accessories to go with my gown. I had decided upon one I had worn for my cousin’s wedding some two years ago. It was a midnight blue with a black lace applied to the bodice and trimmed along the hem, and had a subtle but beautiful bow on the back. Every time I wore it, I felt like a princess, and that is just how I wanted to feel when I was with Thomas. With my gown chosen, all that needed to be done was to choose the perfect accessories to finish off the look, and with my bed covered in all the jewels, hair pieces, and hand accessories I had, there was bound to be something that would go with my gown!

            “I was thinking these would go nicely with the dress; what do you think?” I asked Evangeline as I held up a pair of black beaded earrings to my earlobes for her to admire.

            “No, too simple,” she said, “The dress is already too simple as it is. You need accessories that are going to stand out, make a statement!”

            She rummaged through the earrings for a moment until she became irritated, realizing all my earrings were all very simple (I wasn’t fond of this particular jewelry, so I never chose extravagant ones). “Let’s skip the earrings,” she said, “how about necklaces?”

            I pointed to the pile across from her. As she began to look, I could not help but feel something was wrong. Her tone ever since she got here had a touch of melancholy to it, and whenever I mentioned Thomas, she seemed to shudder to herself only to delve deeper into her sadness. She also became irritated at some points, just like a few moments ago.

            “Evangeline,” I said, putting down the earrings, “is everything all right?”

            “Hmm…” She looked up from the pile, “Why yes, of course I am fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

            “No reason, it’s just that you seem…tense. I have never seen you like this.”

            She looked away for a moment and sighed. “Well, if you want me to be honest…I don’t think you should do this.”

            “Do what? Choose jewelry with you? You know you are more fashionable than me, and I like your advi-"

            “No! Not the jewelry, you know I like to do this with you. I mean…I don’t think you should go to this dinner.”

            I stood there in shock. This was the girl who was always telling me that I should throw caution to the wind and follow my heart in the area of men. This was the one that was always trying to pull me from the corner to at least talk to gentleman in society. And here she was, saying that I shouldn’t follow what I felt was right.

            I went round the bed, and sat down next to her. Taking her hands, I asked “Why shouldn’t I go? Please, you can be honest. We are friends, and friends are honest without consequence.”

            She looked up, and right into my eyes. I could see her eyes almost glassing over, as if she had tears in her eyes that were trying to stay in place, but wanting so desperately to fall.

            “You know, that I would support you in all cases of courtship,” she said, her voice shaking just a little, “but…with this case, it is just…he set something off in me. Something…eerie. When we met him and he kissed my hand, it was as if…as if everything in my heart was sucked from me. I just felt so sad after that, so…dead.”

            These words were so passionate for Evangeline, and I had never heard such sorrowful things come from her mouth. “Perhaps it was just a first impression-“

            “It wasn’t that. At least, I do not think it was. Victoria, you should not do this. What if something happens to you? What if something so terrible happens that…I _never_ see you again?”

            I stood up, worried that she was implying something terrifying. Did she really think that Thomas, a man who was nothing but kind and gentle to me since we met, would want to hurt me? Or even do something utterly worse, something that was not supposed to be talked about in proper society?

            “Do you really think that he would…kill?”

            Evangeline swallowed hard. “I wasn’t thinking that…well, I would partly think that in the case I am thinking of…What if he… _took_ you… _without_ _consent_?”

            I gasped. “How could you say such a thing? He would never-“

            “But what if he did?”

            She stood up and took hold of my forearms. “Victoria, I have bad feelings about him. Maybe not bad, but he doesn’t seem right to me. And I don’t want you to get hurt! You’re my only _true_ friend; I don’t want to lose you.”

            This made me take in a breath. Just the way she said that last part was so tearful; she almost never said anything like this. Whenever she said something that was not associated with gossip or part of her needs, I knew that she meant it. I warmly embraced her, allowing her to finally let go of the tears she held within.

            “There, there,” I whispered, “everything is fine. I know that you care for me. But I am a young woman, and I know that I can take care of myself.”

            We let go, and I dried whatever moisture remained on her face. “Now, you have to believe me when I say that I am still going to go out tomorrow evening-“

            She began to protest, but I stopped her. “I am going out tomorrow evening, but I will make sure that if anything does happen to me, I will take every precaution not to get myself into any dire circumstances if trouble should arise. And, if he does lay a hand inappropriately on me, you can be sure that I will take a good swing at him!”

            As she began to giggle, I knew the good old Evangeline was coming back. She was one of those that had to be reassured that those around her would be safe, even though she believed that something would cause it to not be. But, she was a wonderful friend for worrying about me like she was, and that was all I could say was perfect about her!

            “Well,” she whispered, “I will take your word for it. Maybe I am just being silly, but you have to promise me that…you will tell me every detail at tea Sunday afternoon as to what happened. And I mean everything! Promise?”

            “Promise,” I said with a smile.

            We then got back on track picking out jewelry, and back to talking about what we usually talked about. Everything seemed so right at that very moment.

 

           


	4. The First Outing

           The night of my first dinner alone with a man finally came. I sat in front of my vanity putting the finishing touches on my body. Evangeline basically chose all of my jewelry for this evening, but I couldn’t have been happier with her choices! She chose a black ribbon choker with a cameo detail surrounded by little diamonds, a strand of shining black pearls that was intertwined into my hairstyle, and black lace gloves that went far up my arm. There was one other piece of jewelry I decided to wear and it was something I chose. It was a simple ring, a silver band with tiny sapphires all around it. By slowly slipping it onto my right pinkie finger, I felt my outfit was complete!

            As I was adding a bit more face powder to my cheeks, a knock came at the door and my maid, Lillian, poked her head through the door.

            “Miss,” she said in her lovely Irish accent, “the Mr. Blaxton is here for you.”

            I thanked her and said I would be down in a moment. I looked at my clock which read “seven o’clock” exactly (I was very impressed by his timely manner), and rose from the vanity. Before leaving, my eyes went to the corner of the table where something significant was placed. It was the rose Thomas had given me a few days ago, still as fresh as it was when he picked it and placed it into my hair. Inhaling the sweet scent, it gave me the confidence to know that I was doing the right thing by going to this dinner. Taking my reticule from the bed, I took one last look in my full length mirror. Deciding to let one strand of hair fall from my pulled back style, I felt it gave me a unique look. Pleased with the rest of the outfit, I opened the door and made my way down the stairs. As I walked down the hall, I could hear voices coming from downstairs, and I knew he must have begun to engage conversation with our butler. Just as I reached the corner, ready to descend to the Foyer, I took a deep breath. _Relax_ , I said to myself, _he is a man and you are a woman, nothing more. Just relax and everything will be fine!_

            Letting go of my breath, I slowly walked down the stairs. In an instant, my eyes beheld Thomas. He was dressed in tails once again with a white waistcoat and bowtie, and was draped in a midnight black cloak. His hair was slicked back and he held a top hat in his hand. When our eyes met, I could not help but smile just a little. From the corner of my eye, I could tell Lillian and our butler, James, were beaming up at how beautiful I was as well. So far, everything was perfect!

             When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Thomas stepped forward. Taking my hand into his white gloved one, he kissed it. It almost became routine for him, but I didn’t mind the slightest!

            “My dear,” he whispered, “I do not think true beauty has existed in life until this moment. You look enchanting!”

             I beamed, and thanked him. “You also look wonderful,” I responded, “I know, not as poetic as what you said to me.”

             He smiled. “I think that complement is equally matched.”

             I looked around to Lillian who held out my cloak and assisted me in putting it on. Thomas then asked if he should meet my parents first before we went off.

            “I am sorry sir,” James interrupted, “but the Mr. and Mrs. Branford had prior commitments this evening and unfortunately could not be here to see their daughter off.”

           “ _Prior commitments_?” he asked looking at me.

            “It’s-it’s not important,” I said, trying to change the subject, “Come, we should be off.” I was practically pushing him towards the door before he could even ask about the commitments. I turned towards the servants, promising I would not be out too late, and wished them good evening. Thomas helped me into the carriage first, and after giving the driver instructions where to go, stepped in himself. He settled by my side, allowing only a foot of space between us. As I tried not to blush, I looked out the window as we pulled away.

             “If I may,” his voice said in the semi-darkness of the carriage, “what were these prior commitments that your parents had to attend to?”

             I sighed a little, explaining that they went off to a dinner at the home of the Radcliffe’s, and I told them I couldn’t go because I had made this engagement with him.

              “Oh…” he said in a practically sad sigh, “…perhaps we should not go then, if I have intruded on prior plans?”

              “No!” I said, only to pull back a bit after I realized how desperate that sounded, “I mean, no. It is fine; my mother neglected to tell me that the dinner was at the same time as our dinner plans, and did not mention it until the day we made plans.”

              We were both silent for a moment, and I felt as if he must have thought I was not being right avoiding the Radcliffe dinner. “Perhaps I am not being a dutiful daughter,” I said aloud, looking down into my lap. With hands folded neatly, I looked like the ideal sinner asking for forgiveness.

             Suddenly, Thomas’ hand reached over and took my left hand. Petting it softly, he said “Don’t feel ashamed about what you decide. To be honest, I am glad you came with me.”

            I looked up to find my eyes now connected with his. Even though the carriage was caught in some darkness, his eyes simply sparkled in that lovely blue. “I-I suppose I can just go to family dinners anytime,” I said softly, “How often does dinner with…well, someone else come around?”

              He chuckled and raised my hand to his lips. “Not very often,” he whispered.

           Continuing to hold my hand, we sat in silence, but within the warmth of each other’s company until we finally pulled up to our destination. Thomas stepped out first, and I followed. As he helped me from the carriage, I looked up to see where we were going to have dinner and my eyes went wide.

             “The Savoy!” I exclaimed in a whisper, “but this is so…expensive!”

             “And…” Thomas said, leading me inside; his eyebrow rose as if questioning my comment.

             “Well…it’s just…Mother has told me only the most _exclusive_ people in London come here to dine.”

            “Then I suppose we are part of the _exclusive_ then, aren’t we?”

             As I was about to protest, I simply smiled. It was then I realized that Thomas wanted this night to be special; he would not have brought me here if he knew he could not afford it or did not think we belonged here. And anyway, he was a lawyer and was more than likely given a handsome wage! Why shouldn’t he treat me?

              Once we checked our cloaks, he took my arm into his and led me towards the back of the hotel as we walked through the beautiful lobby. It was covered in marble from the floors to the accents on the walls and glass chandeliers hung almost across the ceiling. Elegant ladies and gentleman practically filled the space with laughter, gossip, and the strong scent of perfume and cigars. Considering this hotel was still in its infancy, it was greatly admired by the likes of London society.

             We finally reached the Savoy Restaurant, or as it was called by some other the River Restaurant (it overlooked the beautiful Thames), and the maître d’ showed us to our table. It was quite odd since he greeted Thomas like an old friend and did not even ask if we had a reservation. We were led through the restaurant and I held my breath as I looked around. Oddly enough, I thought this place was even more beautiful than the lobby. It was filled with tables at which sat the elegant diners; the smells wafting from the kitchen were so delectable that my mouth began to water even before I saw a plate of food. It was like being in a grand palace during a supper.

             We finally reached a corner of the restaurant where a makeshift dining area was set up with a stained glass and wood structure. The maître d’ opened the door and led us inside; there in the center was a little table covered in a pure white tablecloth, lit candles in silver candelabras, and beautiful white china and glistening silverware on the table. Behind that was a large window looking out over the city of London glistening in the night. This was incredibly beautiful, and only Thomas could have thought of this.

             The maître d’ pulled out my chair for me and I sat on the delicate chair even so carefully and Thomas followed suit. Before the maître could ask what we wanted, Thomas asked for a bottle of red wine and his usual. Turning to me with the maître following him and showing the menu with French-named items, I ordered something that read like chicken in a white wine sauce. Once he was gone, we were alone and found ourselves staring into each other’s eyes. I giggled softly as I turned my eyes away for a moment.

           “What is the matter?” Thomas asked softly.

              I smiled and looked back. “I am…just not used to this. Used to…men looking at me the way you do.”

             He smiled. “Why don’t you think men look at you in a special way?”

            “I know they don’t. I…forgive me, but I have never been a beauty in my life. So for you to say I am beautiful and such, it is almost shocking for me. I know I have already said this, but it is so true for me…”

            “What is shocking is, as I have said, that you do not see your own beauty. Trust me, you are so wonderfully beautiful-“

           “Here we are!” a voice suddenly said. We looked and saw it was the maître returning with the wine. He carefully poured my glass and then Thomas’. Leaving us once more, Thomas lifted his glass.

            “Let us change the subject,” he began, “I want to propose a toast.”

           I was a bit shocked by this since it came out of nowhere, but I allowed myself to take up my glass as well holding it up slightly.

           “To you,” he said, lifting his glass just a bit more, “To your beauty, your perfections, your faults…if there are any, your smile, your eyes that glisten in candlelight…to you, my fairest.”

           I smiled, and placed the glass down. I began to slowly realize that Thomas truly did see something in me, a beauty that was rare for a young woman. Maybe I just hadn’t realized it was there until someone else saw it, maybe I just did not comprehend that it was ever really there. Either way, I wanted to embrace what he saw in me and live through it every chance I could.

            It was then that our food arrived, even though I wanted to start another conversation. The waiter lifted my plate’s cover first, revealing a lovely breast of chicken with a creamy white sauce drizzled over it and a leafy green salad next to it. Waiting for Thomas’ plate to be uncovered, I began to take a sip of wine. Taking in the sweet taste, I finally saw what Thomas ordered and my eyes opened wide as it beheld the sight. It was definitely a cut of red meat, but the plate was covered in a bright red sauce on the bottom. Not thinking anything of it at first, I then began to cut my piece of meat. Placing the first bite into my mouth, I did not even taste the warm and luscious food placed on my tongue for all I could stare at was Thomas cutting into his food. As he carefully let his knife slice through the meat, I could see the sauce dissolving down from the cut onto the rest of the plate and it was then that I realized that this sauce was much too thin to even stay on the meat. This was definitely not a sauce, this meat was raw and practically undercooked; the red liquid was blood.

           “Is everything all right?”

           I looked up, and saw Thomas giving me a concerned look. “Do you not like your food?” he asked.

           I swallowed. “No, everything is…fine. It’s just…your food is…doesn’t it seem at bit…”

          “A bit what?”

          “Well…undercooked? There is blood everywhere…”

          He smirked and he placed his knife down. “This is just how I take my red meat; if one cooks their red meat all the way through, you can lose the flavor it is supposed to give.”

          Forking a piece of the dripping meat, he held it up towards me. “Would you care to try?” I looked from the meat to his eyes. There was something about them that possessed a hidden secret, something dark and that should not be said. I shook my head, not wanting to try it for it just seemed so taboo. He pulled it away and brought it to his mouth. Taking it in, he sighed quietly, delighting in the semi-warm and juicy texture and the unique taste. It was at that moment he realized a bit of the blood had escaped his lips and began to run down the side. Trying to find his napkin, I thought quickly and perhaps impulsively when I took up mine and wiped away the red liquid. Smiling he thanked me and I nodded, quickly putting away the blood stained cloth and not thinking of the matter again. For the rest of the time, we sat in between silence and enthralling conversation. I was so content with this decision to spend dinner with this wonderful man, but little did I know the evening was not over yet.

……………………………………………………………………………………..

           When we had finished our supper, we went to collect our cloaks, and as we waited, a feeling of dread came over me. _This was it_ , I thought, _It’s over, and I may never speak to this man again…_

          “What is wrong, my dear?”

          I looked up and found Thomas gazing into my eyes, his brow crossed in concern.

         “I don’t want this to end,” I whispered, “Is there some way we could be out a little longer?

         He looked off for a moment, contemplating what to do. He looked around at the others waiting for their coats, and leaning in, he whispered, “This may seem a bit forward, but we can return to my home if you wish…”

        My eyes fluttered a bit; this was indeed forward, but he sounded so innocent in asking me, yet I felt something was hidden beneath the surface. Ignoring that feeling, I agreed. Tonight, I did not care what happened, or what the consequences might have been. I was going to be the one flirting and having fun tonight, and I did not care who knew. Once our cloaks were on, we stepped outside and Thomas and I took the first carriage that was waiting outside the hotel doors. He gave the driver our address and stepped in. We were off, going who knows where in the middle of the night through the crowded streets of London.

        Thomas checked his pocket watch. “Only nine-thirty. The night is still very young,” he said, giving me a tender smile. He took my hand into his and we sat in silence once again as the carriage drove over the cobblestones towards Thomas’ home. I let my eyes close for just a moment as the rocking of the carriage soothed any nerves I had in my body. Never had I felt so at peace and calmly sedated…

 

 

 

 

 


	5. The Darkest Desires

               “Little one, we are here…”

               I opened my eyes to see my head had fallen on Thomas’ shoulder; I had fallen into a short slumber while we drove. How embarrassing! I jumped a little, removing myself quickly from his personal space and trying to straighten up.

              He chuckled at this sight. “It is fine, Victoria; no need to worry. Come, I will show you inside.”

             He helped me from the carriage, turned to pay the driver, and then led me up the stairs to his home. I looked up to see the large brick structure before me. It looked very new, with crystal glass windows and black wrought iron balconies. Although very beautiful, it was also quite imposing on the quiet street. He led me inside to the darkened Foyer. Telling me to stay where I was, he turned to a low glowing gas lamp that hung on the wall. Turning just that one knob on the bottom of the lamp caused the other gas lamps on the corridor to light. The first floor rooms were all quite different, but each room had to same detail of crimson wallpaper with a black and dark violet detail. Only the most elegant and charming furniture was placed in these rooms, all tables were made of ebony wood, and the home had a wonderfully enticing scent of cinnamon and amber.

             He led me into the parlour, and allowed me to sit on the beautiful scarlet and gold couch while he lit a small fire in the fireplace. Once finished, he turned and asked if I cared for a glass of wine. Considering we both only had one glass at the restaurant, I decided that one more glass could not hurt. I requested a small glass, and he went to get it, promising he would be back in one moment. I took this opportunity to go over to the fireplace and look at the little portraits on the mantle. One was of three young boys in their Sunday attire and looking as if they did not want to be there, one was of an older man with a groomed beard with a woman standing above him, and the last was of a young girl with dark and shining eyes and light hair falling in waves around her heart shaped face.

              “You found Eleanor,” Thomas’ voice said from behind. I turned and found him beside me, holding out a tiny glass of red wine. Taking it, I told him I was admiring the portraits especially the one of the young girl.

              “That was my sister,” he said in a hushed voice, “That was taken on her seventh birthday. She wanted to wear her First Communion dress for it, so my mother allowed it. She was so pretty then…”

              His voice trailed off for a moment as he looked into the fire. “She died the next year…pneumonia. I was about ten; I don’t think I had ever seen my mother cry so hard in my life. I don’t think I ever cried so hard until that moment.”

              “I’m sorry,” I whispered, taking his arm as a sign of comfort, “She sounds like a wonderful child.”

            “She was…but that was the past. And this is the present,” he said, his voice returning to normal as he drank some of the wine he poured for himself.

            Pointing to the other photographs, he explained the man and woman in the second one were his parents, Andrew and Margaret, which was taken for their fifth wedding anniversary. The last photograph was of Thomas and his older twin brothers, Nicholas and James.

               “You have such a lovely family,” I said as we returned to the couch.

              “Thank you, but I am sure that yours is just as lovely?”

              “Well, I don’t have siblings, so I have no idea about that relationship, but I find that my family is good.”

             “You don’t have connections with someone other than your parents?”

              Looking down, my attention was turned towards the ring on my pinkie finger. I slowly took it off and handed it to him. He looked at me with confusion, but I began to explain. “When my parents and I lived in Boston, my mother’s mother lived with us in our home. She practically helped raise me when I was a baby, insisting a nanny or a nurse wasn’t proper to help raise a child. She even moved with us to London when father opened his company here. And I remember every day playing with her in the nursery and wanting to try on her ring, the one you are holding. When she passed away, she let me take off the ring and said I could keep it. She said she wanted to see it in good hands…I was ten when that happened…”

             Thomas smiled and gave my ring back; there a warm mutual understanding between us now. I took a last few sips of my wine and set the empty glass on the table in front of us. Looking around the room, I felt very intimidated now that I was looking at the décor of the room. Black curtains hung on the windows drawn shut, along the corners of the room were gargoyles looming eerily over their perches, and the pattern of the wallpaper in the parlor had a suggested design of never ending spider webs.

              “Something wrong?” he asked, holding his cold hand on mine.

               “Nothing,” I whispered, “it’s just…you have a very _unique_ sense of design.”

                He chuckled a bit, sounding very dark. “Yes, you could say that my taste towards the macabre is very evident. Those gargoyles are actually rejected parts of Notre Dame Cathedral, and are over 600 years old.”

             Although it was a lovely fact, being in this room still gave me an air of enticing fear. I suddenly felt Thomas fingers under my chin as he brought my eyes back to him.

              “There is nothing to fear, my little one,” he whispered, “I will protect you.”

              I giggled a bit, admiring his use of dramatic vow. Perhaps he was trying to make me feel better. “That is very kind of you-"

               “I mean it…”

              I stopped and felt my stomach do a flip inside. As I looked into his eyes, they once again became dark, grazing over with an air of something one should not think about. He slowly leaned in closer to me and I began to pull away, afraid of the feelings that were beginning to rise in me.

            “No, “he whispered, taking my arm fiercely, but gripping lightly, “please don’t shy away. Please let me…”

              He leaned in very close, and as I closed my eyes, fearing what may happen, I didn’t realize my lips were parted ever so slightly. Suddenly, I could feel something soft and sweet against them. Oh god! He was kissing me! I received my first kiss from a man! My heart sped up and I allowed myself to relax in this position. I could feel his cold fingers trailing across my jaw and I let my fingers caress his marble like cheek. After what seemed like eternity, he let go and held me in his arm.

            “Forgive me,” he sighed, “I put myself on you when I shouldn’t have. I just…could not control it…”

           I sat in awe. This sweet man gave me a kiss and he was apologizing for it! How could I not keep myself from falling even further for this beautiful human being?

              “Thomas,” I whispered, taking his cheek in my hand, “don’t apologize. There is no need to…”

            “I know; it’s just…You haven’t left my thoughts since we first met.”

            My eyes widened as he continued. “Call me insane, a madman, but…what I did, what I said to you the night of the ball…I meant every word. Perhaps it was in a very dramatic fashion, but I meant every word I said.”

            “Oh, Thomas…” I sighed.

             He stopped for a moment, taking in my expression of shock. “There is something about you, Victoria. Something that is almost…unreal. And beautiful, so very beautiful…”

             He slowly leaned in again, this time inhaling the scent on my neck and leaving sweet kisses in his wake. I began to moan in a very unladylike fashion, but at that time, I could care less!

             “I need you, my dear,” he whispered in between kisses, “I need you ever so desperately.”

            “Thomas…please,” I moaned, a feeling in my stomach beginning to grow.

              “Yes…?”

             "I want…I want you…”

             He looked into my eyes once more, his blue eyes gone and a sea of black consumed them. He breathed heavily as he said “Shall we…take this upstairs, my little one?”

             I felt as if my voice had gone for a moment, and looking up to him, I nodded. He chuckled darkly, and I suddenly found myself in his arms. I held tight as he swiftly took me from the parlor up the beautiful staircase to the second floor. He tried to find a room with an opened door and once he did, he flew in and laid me on the soft canopy bed. As he removed his jacket, I tried to catch my breath, wondering what was to come next.

           I suddenly was lifted from the mattress by my hands and came face-to-face with Thomas once again.

           “Let’s get you more comfortable, shall we?” he asked, his voice more sultry with every word.

           He turned me around and ran his fingers down my arm. Then, he grabbed handfuls of my silky dress and lifted it from my body. Tossing it away, he then worked on my hair; taking pin after pin from my hair and loosening the pearl headpiece, my brunette curls fell ever so gently upon the edge of my shoulder. I began to delight in his small actions, loving the way his nimble fingers could enthrall me in simple tasks. He then began to kiss my neck and face all over again; surprisingly, his lips were like mine, warm and supple. They were ever so gentile that it made me forget all worries I had about decency and morality. Tonight, I was living out what almost every young woman in London did as an infamous action.

            Wrapping his arms around me like a cage, he looked towards my heaving breasts. The tops practically burst out from my corset, and, like the fiend he was becoming, he leaned in and began to suck the tops. I moaned with delight, wishing it would go on forever. As if he read my mind, I suddenly felt his fingers unlacing the ties and loosening the back. I started to panic just a little, for I did not feel ready to expose one of my private assets to this man. But as I began to pull away, he pulled off the corset and I found myself back on the mattress, lying in just my chemise and petticoat.

               He loomed over me, his hands now pinning my wrists to the side of my head. Then, he slowly dragged his fingers down my arm and across my aching chest. As he was about to loosen the tie on the chemise, I began to squirm, trying to free myself from exposition.

             “No, my dear,” he whispered, one hand holding my waist to keep me stationary while the other slowly began to untie the ribbon, “I want this; I want to see your beautiful body. I want to _worship_ it, and make it _mine_ …Please, let me worship you. Let me praise you, like the princess you are…Let me make you _mine_ …”

             How this man pulled at my heartstrings with his beautiful words! Damn him for making me feel this way, and damn him for letting me succumb to his ministrations. Suddenly, I felt the cold air of the room across my bosom, and looking down, I saw my breasts now with peaked nipples and practically glowing in the darkened room. He brought himself down, and inhaled my scent. His nose tickled my soft and supple flesh as his lips and mouth began their work. His kissed his way to my left breast and took the whole of it into his mouth. Sucking ever so fiercely, he brought me towards an ecstasy like I never felt before; who knew something so intimate could be so freeing and wonderful! Even when biting my nipples, he brought me over the edge and hearing me squeal gave him more of a reason to lust for me and devour my body even more.

             He rose away from my body, the space so far between us. As I kept my eyes closed, trying to regain my breath, I could feel his elegant hands sliding down my sides feeling my warm and flushed skin as it trembled beneath him. Those same hands now made their way under my petticoats, and slowly removed my silk stockings. Then, returning to the same place, he found the band that held my knickers in place at my supple waist and slowly began to remove them as well. When the cold draft hit my center, I tried in my half conscious state to close my legs to him. But he pried them open, and promised me that he would not be here very long. I waited breathlessly, for what, I was not sure. Being a complete virgin, I was almost oblivious to sexual actions that many couples did, and unlike Evangeline, I stayed far away from her overly romantic stories!

             But then, he slowly began to rub a special part of my center, and I was driven to ecstasy once more. Oh god, the feeling was like falling from a dangerous height; leaning off the edge and experiencing your decent into sweet madness. All I could hear was the fast beating of my heart, the unladylike sounds coming from my mouth, and Thomas’ sweet, breathless sighs as he took control of my own body. Oh and how I let him possess me into oblivion!

              “You are beautiful, darling,” he whispered breathlessly as he continued to touch me, “So…very beautiful…ahh…my darling…”

             In my state, I could feel my left arm be taken and risen toward the air, and I only knew it was Thomas taking up my hand. Another sweet kiss perhaps? I could feel the tip of his nose graze across my palm and he slowly licked the skin.

             Suddenly, he growled, “I can’t take it anymore! Darling, sweet Victoria…please…forgive me…”

            I heard vague wet slushing sound come from out of nowhere, and a pain so erotic and traumatic come from my arm that it made me lose all consciousness! I descended into a dark and dreamless sleep…

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

 

            The next morning, I awoke very early to the sound of robins singing their sweet song from my window. My god, what a night I had! Never in my whole life did I imagine that I would ever have that kind of adventurous affair with a man whom I truly cared for. But now, it was good to be at home and be able to take a warm bath in the comfort of my room. But when my eyes opened, I knew that something was not right. Looking around, I saw that the window to the bedroom was on my right side; my bedroom window was always on my left when I woke up…

            I quickly rose from the bed to see I was in a crimson wallpapered room in a large canopy bed. And then it all flooded back to me. Dear god! I spent the night at Thomas’ home! This was not good at all, and if word got out that I spent the night in a man’s home and we were not even thinking about marriage, I was going to be in serious trouble! It was then that I looked down and saw I no longer wore my chemise and petticoats, but a soft and pure white nightgown with little pink ribbons on the neck and cupped sleeves. _Did he put this on me when I passed out?_ I thought, _Oh no, what if he touched me further, and what if he…don’t think about it, just don’t think about it!_

            Just then, I heard the door begin to open and brought the covers up to my nose, hoping it wasn’t Thomas; there was no way I was going to let see me in this state! But it wasn’t him. It was a tall, yet stout woman who wore a mousy brown dress and crisp white apron and had her ashen hair pinned into a bun. With her, she carried a silver tray with what looked like food and drink on it.

            “Good morning, miss,” she said, her voice very sweet, “I do hope I did not wake you.”

            Shocked by this, all I could do was shake my head.

            “Oh, good! I do hate to wake guests if they have not “gotten their egg” yet. And speaking of eggs, I hope you like some for breakfast this morning.”

            She set the tray down on my lap, and I gasped at the delicious looking spread before me. There on white china were eggs mixed with a cream sauce, crisp toast with jam and beautiful red strawberry slices. And next to that was a small teapot filled with steaming hot tea. I immediately dove into the feast, considerably starving since last night.

            “Now, if you cannot eat all of it, let me know,” the woman said as she began to open the drapes to the room. I noticed it was raining buckets outside and the sky was practically black. “Oh, and I am Ms. Dover, the head housekeeper, in case you need anything else.”

            I swallowed what I had in my mouth. “Mhm, thank you…and I am Victoria. Victoria Branford.”

            “I know, miss. Mr. Blaxton told me about and you and your situation.”

            I stopped and looked up to her with wide eyes; there was no way Thomas could have told her about last night! It would have been uncouth of him to do so!

            “He did…” I whispered.

            “Oh yes,” she said in a gasped tone, “Such a terrible thing for that cab driver to have his wheel break off near the home, and being unable to bring you home first. I must say, Mr. Blaxton is a kind man to let you spend the night! And lucky we had a spare nightgown in the linen room. The poor dear didn’t want to take off your beautiful gown because he thought it would be indecent! I had to carefully put the nightgown on you when I got in this morning. But it was no trouble!”

            I looked over and saw my dress neatly folded on the chair with my jewelry and reticule placed on top of it. That sneaky and clever so and so! I just had to ask him how he came up with that solution. Then again, he was a kind of lawyer, so maybe he picked up a few improvisational tactics. But how he was going to explain my clothing situation, well, that may be saved for another time.

            Suddenly, a firm but gentle few knocks came at the door. Ms. Dover motioned for me to stay where I was and she opened it for me. She wished the person a ‘good morning’ followed by the word ‘sir.’ It must have been Thomas! Turning towards me, she said, “It is Mr. Blaxton, miss. Do you wish to see him now or later?”

            “He may come in now if he wishes,” I said, adjusting my sitting position and smoothing down my supposedly messed hair.

            He stepped into the room, and instantly had his eyes on me. He thanked Ms. Dover as she walked from the room, closing the door. He was immediately by my side, taking my hand into his and pressing one of his kisses to it. This one was very passionate, even for a Sunday morning.

            “How are you feeling?” he asked earnestly.

            “To be honest,” I whispered, “absolutely wonderful!”

            He chuckled a little, and pressed a kiss to my fingertips. “I’m glad. I am so happy about last night…”

            It was at that moment that I saw a bandage wrapped around my forearm. Was this where I felt the pain in my arm?

            “Oh, yes…” he whispered, noticing I found the bandage, “We had a bit of an accident last night. It doesn’t hurt does it?”

            “No…” I said as I let go of his hand and touched the bandage, “What happened to me?”

            “In our…passion, I accidently scratched you on the side of the table,” he said, pointing to the bedside table. I noticed the corners were quite pointed, so it would make sense if someone fiercely crashed into it. “When you passed out, I had to bandage you immediately. I hope you can forgive me…”

            “Of course,” I said, “It was an accident after all. And we were…having caught up in the moment.”

            There was silence as we stared into each others’ eyes, and there was warmth beginning to grow between us. The fact that we could be alone together in one space without any words or conversation truly meant something more than just a one night with him.

            “Victoria,” he said, “may I ask you something?”

            I nodded. “I have been thinking about this for some time now, and I know that what I am about to ask you may sound insane, but I truly mean it from the bottom of my heart. But first I must know…do you have strong feelings for me?”

            My eyes fluttered when he asked me that, and I could barely utter the words from my lips. “I…yes…I think I have since the ball…”

            A wide smile appeared on his face as he sighed happily, as if what he wanted me to say came true. “And I also have those feelings…it as if I have fallen into a deep abyss that I cannot escape from and yet my only salvation is you. You would be my hope and my destiny…if you allow me to be yours…”

            “Thomas…are you asking me to…what _are_ you asking me?”

            He knelt by me on the floor and took up my hand again. “All I am asking is, while I may not have as much as a King of England, I would be honored if you and I could see where this will take us…would you become my love?”

            I could not believe my ears; this man did care for me and I could see it in his crystal eyes and hear it in his poetic words. How could I possibly say no to him?

            “Yes,” I said nodding, “I will! I will be your love.”

            He beamed and leaned into my lips. We kissed ever so passionately, and yet it was ever so gentle in touch. When we finally broke away, we could not help but laugh softly. Whatever was beginning between us, I felt that it was going to be wonderful…

            “I should let you finish breakfast,” he said and rose as if he was about to leave.

            “Have you eaten?” I asked.

            “Not yet, I was just about to.”

            Looking down at my placement and then back at him, I suggested “You could stay and eat with me; I would love it if you did.”

            He smiled. “That is a wonderful idea! I will tell Ms. Dover right now.”      

            As he was about to walk away, he stopped, turned around, and gave me another kiss on the lips. Then when he finished, he caressed his lips across my cheek and to my right ear. “I love you…”

            My heart went into my throat, and as I was about to say the same in return, he was gone. I knew he would come back, but after he said that, it felt like an eternity waiting for him. He loved me, he _loved me_. Although it seemed impossible, I was loved…and I lied back thinking about those three magical words that kept rounding with his whisper in my head. _I…love…you…_

           

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...it seems our characters have entered new territory; I wonder what will happen for them beyond this point? The winds will soon start to change for Victoria, and she is about to learn that everything isn't what it seems to be...
> 
> Hope you are enjoying the story so far, and like I said, don't be afraid to leave a comment or two. Thank you! Peace and love!!!


	6. Promises and Penny Dreadfuls

            As Thomas and I enjoyed the breakfast made by Ms. Dover, I could not help but ask him how he ever got away with letting the notion slip that we were doing things that were…well, frankly, deemed immoral before marriage. Thomas, with a seeming devilish grin, explained all the details. First, once he pulled up the knickers and bandaged my arm to stop the profuse bleeding, he tied my chemise again, put my corset back on, and put on my dress once again. In regard to my hair, he brushed it as best as he could to make it neat and put my hair accessories into the reticule. He avoided the stockings all together, since he did not want to wake me, and just put them along with my shoes into the corner.

            By morning, when Ms. Dover arrived, he informed her of the terrible events of last night. As I already knew, Thomas had said that the carriage broke down close to the house, but much too far away to even try to bring me home first. But, he went on to explain to Ms. Dover that, when I came into the house, I was very tired and wanted to lie down, and he sent me upstairs into the bed chamber I was in now, but without proper bed attire since, well, no women live in the house so he did not think there was anything for me to wear. Ms. Dover, feeling sorry for me, put down the things she had brought for the day, and went into the linen closet to perhaps find something for me to wear; low and behold, under a pile of white sheets, she found a nightgown that would fit me perfectly.

            “My,” I said, “that is certainly a tale you spun! However…what ever am I going to tell my mother? She will be furious when I return home-"

            He stopped me before I could continue worrying. “I have a solution for that as well; while you slept, I wrote a, well, ‘heartfelt’ note to your parents, explaining why you did not come home last night and why you were sleeping at my home. Early this morning, I sent one of the maids to bring it to your home and also ask for a reply as well as a change of clothes. I sent her by carriage at 8, and that was about an hour ago. Hopefully she should return soon; I would hate it for you to return home in the clothes you arrived in.”

            I smiled warmly. He certainly did not have to go to the trouble to do that, but I knew that he did it to save me the embarrassment that some girls of society faced after a rendezvous the night before and had to return home under the cover of sheer, agonized criticism from family and friend alike. Because he cared for me, he did not wish to see me fall from grace. I did not deserve this man’s kindness!

            Another knock came at the door, and Thomas allowed them entry. It was Ms. Dover again, and in her hands were a small traveling bag and a note.

            “I hate to intrude, Mr. Blaxton,” she said in her kind voice, “but Agatha returned with the Miss Branford’s clothes and her mother’s reply.”

            Thomas got up from his seat and crossed over to her. “Thank you very much, Ms. Dover, and please tell Agatha that I will add a shilling bonus into her pay this week for her kindness.”

            She bowed slightly, and closed the door behind her. “Well,” said Thomas as he handed me the little traveling bag, “shall we see what your mother has said?”

            He tore the envelope open, and carefully pulled out the letter. Opening it, he looked at me and asked if I would like to read it first.

            “You can read it out loud,” I said, “I think I want to change into these clothes, if you don’t mind?”

            Thomas nodded and lifted the tray from my lap. As I was about to get down from the bed, he held out his hand and helped me off. Practically in his arms again, he gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead and let me go about my business. Looking around the room, I did not seem to see any place where I could change in privacy; not even a dividing screen to put up.

            Turning back to Thomas, I said in a very shy voice, “Would you mind…umm…” and I spun my finger around in a circular motion. Realizing what I meant, he turned around with his back to me to allow me privacy. Yes, I know; he practically saw almost all of my body last night, but I believed that if one still required modesty in the presence of a significant other, then they should have it.

            As I reached into the bag to begin putting on my clothes, Thomas began to read the letter:

                   “ _Dear Mr. Blaxton,_

 _While I am often not very fond of the situation at hand, I still find it very kind of you to allow my daughter a place to stay for the evening instead of making her walk a distance of two miles to our home in uncomfortable conditions. I do hope that, when you return our daughter home, you will be able to stay for a little while so that my husband and I can meet you_ -"

            I whipped around as I was putting fastening the button on my blouse. “Did she really say that?” I asked, shocked that she would ask of such a thing in a letter, “Oh, and you can turn around now.”

            “I am afraid she did ask that, my dear,” he said as he came back around to face me. His eyes practically lit up as he faced me. “My, you look so pretty!”

            I blushed; I was merely dressed in my lace covered summer blouse with a dark green skirt. Mother even had my black walking boots, a new pair of black stocking and the jacket that matched the skirt packed into the bag along with one of my hats I liked to wear.

            “Thank you,” I said, not trying to protest his comment any further, “Would you continue the letter?”

            He nodded and went to where he left off:

             “ _I do hope that, when you return our daughter home, you will be able to stay for a little while so that my husband_ _and I can meet you at last. We have heard much about you and only wish to see you in the flesh. I anticipate your arrival this afternoon, but until then do have a lovely morning._

_Sincerely,_

_Mrs. Erica Branford”_

            He closed the letter and looked up at me while I was putting on my hat in the mirror. “You have told your mother about us?”

            The way he said it almost seemed a bit agonized, but maybe it was just the tone he used. “Well, naturally I did. I mean, only about how I met you at Lady Wellington’s ball and the tea, and how you asked me to dinner. To be honest, I can’t tell you how many times she has told me I need to at least talk with someone who is of the opposite sex, so that I have a chance at marriage before I am an old maid!”

            He laughed and walked over to me. Putting his hands on my shoulders, he asked, “Is she one of those mothers who wants at least ten grandchildren before you are, well, not _decent_ enough to bear children?”

  He rested his chin upon the top of my hat (thank god it was bowler-like, and could be put back into place if it was messed) as I pinned it into place. “No, she is not, thank god” I sighed, “but I think since many girls I know are already being courted, and/or engaged by now, I think she just wants to see me in that place too…before it is too late.”

I looked down, almost ashamed to say that I felt bad about not putting myself out there enough; not having the confidence to take a chance and make my presence known to young men, and especially, not having the confidence to come back from being shunned by those societal men. It was then that I felt a squeeze against my shoulders, and my attention was brought back to the lovely man standing behind me, gazing into my eyes within the glass. As he gently smiled, I smiled with him.

“That’s all going to change now,” he whispered, as he leaned in closer, “And I am more than happy to oblige making all the girls you know jealous.”

I smirked. “Do you think you can withstand their greatness? The girls’ beaus can be quite a handful when it comes to talking politics, smoking cigars, and drinking whiskies.”

He kissed me on the cheek, and wrapped himself around my waist. “If I have to take them down with my intelligence and taste for fine wine over bitter liquors, then I shall do it in your honor.”

I laughed and shook my head. This man may be dramatic and odd in tastes, but he certainly was the charmer. My parents just had to like him, otherwise…well, there wasn’t another option. Thomas Blaxton was my only option, my only playing card that could either win my part in the game of love and pleasing my parents, or it could be the card that would lead to my downfall. Only time would tell…

                 ……………………………………………………………………………..

            By eleven o’clock, Thomas and I left his home, and made the way to mine by carriage. As I stepped in, he whispered to me “Hopefully this one won’t break down,” and winked at me. I slapped him lightly on the arm as I sat down. He gave the driver the directions, and we were off. The rain had stopped by now, but the day was still overcast with a chance for it to pour again. The air was cool and smelled clean with the unique scent of rain. This was my kind of weather, and I think it was Thomas as well. He seemed to have a small smile on his face as we rode through the streets of London; even while wearing his black spectacles, I knew there was a small twinkle to his eyes.

            After about twenty minutes, we pulled up to my home. Stepping from the carriage, we climbed the stairs and James was instantly there to open the door.

            “Miss Victoria,” he said with a smile on his face and taking my little travel bag, “I am very glad to see you home again!”

            “Likewise, James,” I responded. As James wished a greeting to Thomas, I checked the little pocket watch that I kept in my reticule. It was going on 11:30, and I knew I would have to leave soon for Evangeline’s home for early afternoon tea, as well as talk about my night.

            “Your mother will be down in just a moment, Victoria,” James said as he made his way to the stairs, “Shall I bring the bag to your room?”

            I told him what he could do with it, and turned to Thomas who had taken an odd interest in one of the portraits that hung in our Foyer.

            “I have to give you a warning about my mother,” I said as I brushed my finger tips along his elegant hand.

            “And what might that be?” he asked, turning his head slightly to look at me.

            “Well, she is a kind woman, don’t get me wrong. However, she is a bit…well…” I began twirling my other hand in the air in crazy fashion.

            “Out there?” Thomas chuckled as he watched my actions.

            “Eccentric, but…she has her beliefs in things. Look, just try to be yourself, and she will like you…I hope…”

            It was at that moment we heard hurried footstep come down the stairs; we turned and I was soon enveloped in an anxious pair of arms that practically crushed me to death.

            “Oh! My sweet little _girl_ , are you all right? Did you get hurt in the carriage accident? Did you sleep well? Did you-"

            “Mother, really!” I pushed out of my mother’s arms so I could look at her. “Look, I am fine; not a scratch to be had!” I twirled around to demonstrate no marks and I was functional. Thank god I was still wearing my jacket though; if she saw the bandage on my arm, she might have had a field day knowing I got hurt.

            Mother sighed. “Well, fine. You are home now and that is all that matters.” She then looked up at Thomas, who wore his usual black as well as his spectacles. At first I thought she would be like Evangeline, going from a chatterbox one second to a mindless and scared zombie the next. But, her thinned lips turned to ones of a curved smile. “And who do we have here? Is this your charming knight who saved you from peril?”

            Thomas chuckled at the comment. “I do not know if I would call myself a _knight_ , but maybe just a Good Samaritan will be sufficient.”

            I made the introductions, and Thomas leaned forward, giving my mother a kiss onto her hand. “Well, I can see where Victoria gets her beauty from,” he said as he straightened up again.

            Mother giggled like a school girl over the comment! “Well, it was not just me,” she said modestly, “Her father is also quite the looker; although, she does get most of her facial traits from me, especially her womanly curves-

            “Mother!” I gasped; I could not believe the way she was acting. This was not normal of her, and if this was some idea of her trying to be comfortable around Thomas, I think she would have been better off taking a swig of her elder berry wine to calm her nerves!

            “Sorry, my dear,” she whispered, patting my hand. I think she realized that she went too far as well. I looked to Thomas who seemed amused by my mother’s spontaneity. Mother began to walk towards the parlor at that moment, motioning for us to follow.

            “Let’s go in here,” she said warmly, “I arranged for our cook make a nice early tea for us. Unfortunately, my husband cannot join us; he was called in to the jewelry store to help organize the new books.”

            As Thomas began to walk in, I had to say something at this moment. “Mother, I am really sorry, but I promised Evangeline that I would spend the afternoon with her.”

            “But you just got home?”

            “I know, but I had already made the plans and she will be expecting me any moment…”

            As Mother was about to protest, Thomas spoke up from out of the blue. “Perhaps, Mrs. Branford, we should let Victoria go. This would give us a chance to get better acquainted in a neutral presence of each other’s company.”

            Mother pursed her lips together in thought; I swear I thought she was about to tell me that I couldn’t go and had to stay, not that I wouldn’t have minded. I just hated to break plans that had been already made. But, her face softened and she sighed.

            “Very well,” she said, “You may go, but do not come home late. I think almost twenty-four hours away from home is quite long enough for a while.”

            I smiled and promised I would be home at least by three o’clock. As I made my way to the door, I heard my name whispered. I turned, and was greeted with Thomas’ lips on mine. I smiled as I kissed him back, ravishing in the tender touch of our lips.

            Suddenly, I got a bit nervous and shook myself away. “Thomas,” I giggled nervously, “be careful. What if someone sees?”

            “I am being careful,” he whispered slyly, “It is you who should take care…”

            “I am being serious.” I put my hand onto his chest, and he grasped it lightly, “Please…don’t bring up the fact that we are…well, you know?”

            His lips came together, and he nodded. “If it is any condolence, I think she may already have a fair idea that we are…together?”

            “If she does know, then so be it, but if not, I don’t want it to get out there right away. I want it to have it be known when the time is right. Do you know what I mean?”

            He nodded again, and pressed a sweet kiss into my knuckles. “When can I see you again?”

            I shrugged. “Maybe you could join us for dinner sometime this week? I have piano lessons all this week in the afternoons.”

            “Perhaps; I may be busy with work…shall we play by ear?”

            I nodded. He smiled, and before leaning in for a final kiss, he looked around in a dramatic fashion to see of anyone was coming. “No one,” he said as he smiled into our kiss.

                       ……………………………………………………………………………

            I decided to walk to Evangeline’s home since the rain had subsided for a moment, but I took my umbrella just in case I was caught in the rain. I only had to walk about three blocks before I was finally standing in front of the large and glistening white marble manor that was the Grayson mansion. It had apparently been in her family for about 100 years now, and it was certainly a beacon for their family’s success! Her father was one of the board members of the Bank of England, as her father and his father before him, so it was only inevitable that the family would acquire many riches over the years. I carefully climbed the stairs, and knocked on the pure ebony door knocker.

            The shining midnight door opened and revealed a timid looking maid with shining red hair pulled up into a maid’s cap.

            “May I help you, miss?” she asked shyly.

            “Hello,” I said as I smiled warmly, “I am here to see Evangeline Grayson.”

            “Wait here, miss, and I will retrieve her for you. May I take your coat and umbrella?”

            I told her I could manage and she left my side, and up the grand staircase. As I waited, I could not help but marvel at the sight of the Grayson home; it looked as if you had entered a great palace only found in fairy tales of old. It was entirely wood detailed with gold accents along the corners and carvings of the wood. Suddenly, I heard the clicking of boot heels come from the upstairs hallway, and turning the corner was Evangeline, quickly coming down the stairs. For a quiet Sunday afternoon, she certainly dressed as if she was going somewhere important in her silken pink and scarlet day dress with delicate lace for trim.

            “I have been waiting twenty-four hours for this and I couldn’t sleep a wink last night!” she exclaimed as she made her way down the stairs. When she reached me, she enveloped me in a hug, but stopped to notice my bandage covering my arm. I told her that is was merely an accident that happened with Thomas, and she quickly took my hand as we went back up the stairs figuring it would all be told.

            “Evangeline Margret,” a voice rang out from below. We turned, and there where I had just been standing was Evangeline’s mother with a somewhat irritated look on her face, “Is it really ladylike for you to drag your guest off before I can even say hello to her?”

            “Mother, it’s just Victoria, and not the Queen of England! Anyway, we have important matters to discuss!”

            Her mother rolled her eyes. “Very well, I suppose I shall wait until tea so I can talk to her again. Good afternoon, Victoria.”

            I wished the Madame Grayson a ‘good afternoon’ and we were off again. It only took a moment to walk down the hall and up another tiny staircase before we reached her room. It was painted a baby blue with white detail along the walls. Her bed was pure white with white bed sheets and a canopy high above the bed. It was like being inside a dream.

            “All right,” she said as she flung me onto the bed and stood jumping up down on the floor, “tell me absolutely everything and don’t leave anything out!”

            I had to find my wording for a moment, since Evangeline was that excited to know what was happened. I could not wait to see her reaction when I told her about what happened after dinner! So I began to explain how he dressed, and where we went for dinner; she was shocked that we went to the Savoy since no one could make a reservation there for three months! I then explained that Thomas told me he knew a friend who kept the books for the hotel, who in turn gave him a connection into the restaurant. She squealed with delight when I told her how he had a makeshift dining area set up for our privacy, and how he gave me a special toast before dinner. I then tentatively began to explain how we went to his humble abode after the dinner. It was at that moment I stopped myself, not thinking I could possibly go on to say what happened next.

            “Well, go on!” She was persistent, and there was no way she was going to believe me if I skipped the next part. I was a terrible liar and she knew it.

            “Well…” I began weakly, “he brought me to his home after the Savoy, and we talked for a bit…and then…well, then we got caught up in something and…”

            Her face went from a normal excitement to one that I thought would melt her flesh from the bone. “Oh…my…God! You kissed each other, didn’t you? Didn’t you?!”

            I blushed, and after a moment, nodded slowly. She squealed and suddenly hugged me with enough force that she knocked us down onto the mattress together. “Wait,” I said, trying to peel her off of me, “I haven’t told you all of it…”

            When she heard me say that, she sprang off me and sat up, her eyes wide and a Cheshire cat like grin on her face, waiting for what was to come. “I…we…sort of…did more than kiss. We…just might have…went more intimate-“

            She grabbed me once again and bear-hugged me onto the mattress, thrashing me about as she squealed out “I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! I knew you had it in you to do it! Oh, no longer one of the innocent ones!”

            “Evangeline! Thomas and I did not have sex!”

            She stopped rolling about. “Oh, really?”

            “Yes! All we did was…well he got me half naked and…well, all that matters is we didn’t have sex!”

            She got up and looked sad. “Darn, you’re still a virgin…oh, well, that day will come eventually. Sooner rather than later, I hope!”

            I rolled my eyes. I honestly hoped later, but that did not matter at the moment. “Anyway, this morning, he then asked me if…if I would be his lover.”

            She gasped. “Oh Victoria, please tell me you said yes! I will be forever cross with you if you didn’t!”

            “Well of course I said yes! Why wouldn’t I?”

            She was about to give me another death grip hug, when I put my arms out. “Gently,” I told her. She then came in softly for a hug, but still held me tightly. “I am so happy for you! It will be a matter of time before you are walking down the aisle; I just know it!”

            I smiled warmly during the hug, my mind drifting to that thought of wearing a white lace gown and walking down the great aisle of one of the cathedrals in London, the organ blaring Wagner’s Bridal Chorus as Thomas stood at the end waiting for me to become his bride. I soon realized I was getting ahead of myself, and shook the thought from my head entirely.

            As we let go, Evangeline suddenly said, “Perhaps I was wrong about Thomas; maybe he isn’t so bad after all.”

            “Well, of course not. Why would you say that anyway?”

            She looked off for a moment. “I had been doing some thinking since the last time we talked and well…it’s nothing.

            I couldn’t help but feel she was hiding something. “What’s wrong?”

            She looked back at me, her eyes now filled with questioning. “Do you remember when I first met Thomas, and I said I felt as if everything in me had died?”

            “Yes…”

            “Well, I couldn’t shake that thought from my mind. I thought about it for days after until I finally got up the courage to look into the matter as to why I felt that way. I looked in every book at the library trying to find some kind of answer. But it wasn’t until I got home that I realized the answer to all my questions and my feelings had been lying in my room this whole time!”

            “I don’t think I understand what you mean.”

            She got up from the bed and went over to her dresser. She rummaged in there for a few moments and then produced a thin little book that was already opened to three pages folded over at the top corner.

            “Read,” she said.

            I looked down at the first page opened to me. From what I glanced at, it was something that was giving advice to the reader. I then read carefully, taking in every word on the page:

            _For one to know that they are dealing with something of this nature, one must look at all possible signs pointing to the grave matter. First, the creature must have the skin of waxwork, pale and unscathed, no hint of life anywhere to be seen. They have the audacity to twist the mind into deprived oblivion to get what they want even if only for a moment…_

            I sat there reading, completely confused as to where this was going, so to make it quick, I scanned to the next paragraph:

            _Second, it must have a taste for the less known thing inside of any animal or human being-the blood. As said by many of their kind, blood gives life to those who need it. In this case, they believe others who have reason to supplement blood supply are their walking prey and ultimately, their food for the afterlife. When need for feeding is apparent, their sense are heightened and blood of the victim can be smelled even at a certain length; this can reach about 100 centimeters at the least, and the hunger cannot be ceased until…_

            This was all so strange. Why was she having me read this? What on earth was this even about? I soon flipped the page and stared at the title section that was hidden.  **Identifying the Undead-What One Must Know to Avoid Encounter with Vampyre.**

            Vampyre…vampire? Was Evangeline honestly thinking what I thought she was thinking? I flipped the book open to the front cover. There in all its glorious macabre was a lurking image of the stereotypical vampire with a young maiden in his arms; the title _Blood of the Innocent Lamb_ written in a Gothic text.

            “A penny dreadful?” I asked her in disbelief, “A penny dreadful about a vampire lusting for women’s blood? This is your idea of _good_ research, and not only that. Are you really making some kind of accusation that Thomas Blaxton, a very normal human being, is a…a vampire?”

            She stood there for a moment, arms crossed in contemplation. “Well…have you got a better idea?”

 


	7. Friendly Confrentations

            I couldn’t even believe my own ears! Evangeline, my friend of over fifteen years, was honestly suggesting that a man I had begun to desire was a vampire! A blood sucking, woman hypnotizing fiend of the night! This was just an idea that was going to go too far if it went any further!

            “I honestly cannot listen to this right now,” I said getting up from the bed, “I have to go!”

            “Go? You cannot go,” Evangeline protested, “You just got here!”

            “Well I certainly can’t stay if you are going to act totally insufferable with your childish realizations!

            She gasped, obviously insulted by my comment. “ _Childish realizations_? Come now, Victoria; I don’t think I am being childish. Just look at Thomas! He is practically a walking cadaver, a corpse!”

            Now I was the one who was insulted; was she trying to make me want to smack her in the face, because she was doing a good job of it! But I had to take a deep breath, and try not to start a childlike fight with her.

            “Evangeline, I appreciate that you are trying to… _help_ me with my relationship, but by saying that Thomas is something that is a childhood fantasy and that doesn’t exist is truly outrageous! I mean honestly, you are getting your evidence from a penny dreadful.”

            “Forget the penny dreadful for a moment,” she said, taking it from me and putting it to the side, “Can we, for a moment, consider other areas of concern regarding him?”

            I scrunched my brow, confused as to what she meant by that, but she went on. “Think about his illness to light, his photosensitivity. How many people in London, no, on _the planet_ that is allergic to light? It just seems so unnatural, especially since he is so pale!”

            “Ugh, Evangeline really. Look at us; we are not exactly sun-kissed in skin tone either! And anyway, medicine is advancing rapidly these days, and perhaps Thomas has seen a doctor that confirmed there is indeed something wrong when he goes into light. Anyway, think about it. These vampire novels suggest that vampires cannot go out in sunlight at all, correct?”

            She nodded. “Therefore, they sleep during the _day_ …in _coffins_ … _right_?”

            She put together her lips in thought, and maybe frustration since she started crossing her arms. She usually did this if she felt she was not getting her say promoted.

            “Are you…are you sure you didn’t see a coffin at his home?” she asked.

            I threw up my arms and was about to yell in frustration, when she stopped me. “Sorry! Sorry, I just had to ask. All right, let’s not consider my thoughts for a moment. How about you tell me anything that was odd during your night out with him?”

            I rolled my eyes, was she that desperate to make this case legitimate in detail? “Well, if you call bringing me to a fancy dinner odd then call the authorities to stake him.”

            “I’m being serious! Was there anything odd during, after, before the dinner?”

            I was about to say no again, until a thought crossed my mind that had been sent away only awhile ago. “Well…there was _one_ moment during the dinner…”

            “Go on…” Evangeline said, encouraging me to express my inner thought. I wanted to erase it from my mind again, but yet it remained swirling my doubts and fear into it.

            “When we were eating, Thomas had ordered a red meat, a steak, and it was really, very undercooked. It was practically raw, and there was just so much blood oozing and dripping from it. And when he ate it, he looked…almost more than satisfied. It was as if he was curing a desire he had for so long within him…”

            My mind went back to the way his face and the way he chewed that blood-dripping piece of meat in his mouth; how the blood ran from his lips along his porcelain jaw. It was all so strange and almost sadistic thinking about it. My body suddenly got a chill, and felt as if cold water ran through my backbone. The thought rushed from my head as I looked back to Evangeline; her skin color looked as if it had drained, her eyes were somewhat wider than they were.

            “But he still ate real food, Evangeline! It wasn’t as if he told the waiter ‘Please get me a plate of fresh blood so that I may drink it in front of my unsuspecting companion. Oh and dearest darling Victoria, yes it is true, I am a creature of the night, and I am going to suck _your_ blood later on!’”

            “But, Victoria,” Evangeline protested, “If it looked like that he was enjoying the taste of the blood from the meat, doesn’t that not seem normal? And speaking of sucking your blood, how did you cut your arm?”

            I looked down at the bandage. “What does it matter?” I asked, getting annoyed at this point, “He accidently slammed my arm into the table, and cut me; what of it?

            “Well…are you sure it is a scratch?”

            Just as I was about to burst from the room to rid myself of this insane talking, I looked back it again. What if he did scratch my arm off the table? What if that wet scrapping sound was indeed him sinking his teeth into my flesh? What if…?

            “Let’s check it.”

            I looked to see Evangeline going for my bandage, and I swiftly pulled my arm away. I told her Thomas said I shouldn’t touch it, since it shouldn’t be infected.

            “Are you really going to let someone tell you what to do with your own body? Let’s just look and see what the wound looks like, and see if there are any…significant signs.”

            I breathed, trying to calm my nerves that had risen within this moment, and I sat back down on the bed with Evangeline across from me. We looked at each other before I began to peel of the bandage. With a look of certainty in both our eyes, I began to unravel the cloth. It took a few circles around my arm before I finally came to the bloodied part of the bandage. I looked back at her before taking off completely. She nodded, but I could see it in her eyes; she was just as nervous and scared as I was. She did not want to be right!

            Slowly, I peeled of the cloth which was a bit difficult and painful since the blood had dried to the skin. There before us was the most disgusting and graphic cut I had ever seen in my life. All of the blood was dried at this point and the wound was starting to scab over, but it was certainly not a beautiful sight to see. The wound was about two inches long and very thin in width, black on the inside which permeated towards dark crimson around the edge. It was a bit deep towards the ends but the middle wasn’t very deep at all. Even though it didn’t look like a scratch, even I was still apprehensive. But I couldn’t let her know that!

            “You see,” I said, “It doesn’t look like a bite mark at all!”

            Evangeline took hold of my arm and looked at the wound at all angles. She was definitely not convinced that it wasn’t more than a scratch. Finally putting my arm down, she said, “Well…I suppose it looks as if just a plain wound…I am still not convinced though.”

            “Well, maybe we should leave it then; I think I have had enough for one day.” I began to put the bandage back on as I moved towards the door.

            “Did I offend you?”

            I looked back and saw that Evangeline had a tearful look to her eyes. I wanted to say ‘Frankly, yes you did! And it is so insufferable that you would even consider saying my new boyfriend is a monstrous creature!’ But I didn’t.

            “It is the fact that you are letting nerves get to you; you had a very odd feeling about him which may have just been a bad impression. Then instead of letting it go, you made it into something larger than it should have been. I know how you like to take things out of proportion, but you can’t keep doing this your whole life.”

            She nodded and cast her eyes away. From the slight sniffles she gave, it could have only meant one thing. I sat back down and put my arms around her. “None of that now,” I said in a hushed tone, “I can’t have you crying; you know I don’t like it when you cry.”

            “I-I just-feel so…stupid!” she said in between gasped breaths, “I shouldn’t have-said those things!”

            I tried to calm her as best as possible, and when she almost stopped, I told her that I did forgive her what she thought, even if it was a fantastic idea. She promised that she would not think of that thought ever again, even if it crawled back into her doubtful thoughts. I thanked her again, and told her I was going to go and have tea with Mother at my home. As I was about to leave, she stopped me by putting herself in front of the door.

            “What are you doing on Friday night?” she asked, a smile upon her face.

            “Well, I have piano lessons in the morning and afternoon, but afterwards, I think I am free. Why?” I was curious as to what she had in mind.

            “The Royal Opera is having their gala night, and they are debuting their new season with the first opera then. And guess which opera it is?” Her eyes narrowed as if I should have known the answer to her question.

            Suddenly, my eyes went wide. “ _Lucia di Lammermoor_?” I asked hopefully.

            And she nodded excitedly. “We have to go!” I exclaimed, “Oh god…wait. You don’t like opera.”

            She rolled her eyes. “I know, but I want us to go for three reasons! One-You love that opera and it would be time for us to spend together as friends, two-my parents own a box and we wouldn’t have to pay to get in, and three-the opera is a perfect place to pick up men-"    

             “Oh really!”

            “ _For me_! Not you, for me!”

            I smiled. An evening out with just Evangeline sounded nice, like how we always went out as two companioned friends. Even though the thought of Thomas wanting to go out with me that same night seemed possible, I simply thought it would be best to give our time a breathing moment. After all, he was a busy man who didn’t lounge around his house all day like some young fellows I knew. Letting him have his time was probably the best option at this point, and if he wanted to take you out, there was still Saturday and Sunday free.

           “All right,” I agreed, “we shall go.”

           Evangeline could not have been more excited! She promised that she would be at my home with her family’s carriage at six o’clock so we could go together. After setting up the plans, she led me downstairs to see me off as well as arrange plans to have tea at my home on Tuesday. After our good-byes, I exited and found myself caught in a little drizzle. Putting up my umbrella, I felt content about making plans with Evangeline; that is until my mind slowly sunk back into thinking about how she made the claim Thomas could be a vampire. It was an utterly ridiculous idea, and yet, there was something about it that made some sense, like the sensitivity to light. Even things that I did not mention to her, like his taste for macabre design, seemed very out of the ordinary. I could not let myself get into these thoughts of the undead once again, and yet, as of this moment, they just did not seem to go away…

……………………………………………………………………………………

            I returned home right before three o’clock, and before the worst of the storm outside could take effect. I walked into the parlour to find my mother doing some needlework, a tea set sitting on the table in front of her chair. She looked up to see me standing in the threshold.  


            “There you are,” she said, her voice very charming, “Come in, and have some tea; James just brought a fresh pot.”

              I walked in and sat opposite her. She handed me a teacup and saucer, and allowed me to pour my own cup. As I added the cream, she asked “I thought you were having tea at Evangeline’s home?”

              I shrugged. “We basically talked for the last few hours, and got caught up. Plus, I would much rather have tea with you. All the Grayson women talk about is where to go to find the best shoes.”

             She smiled, amused by my sarcastic comment. Usually she found my sarcastic wit unladylike, but sometimes, I could make her smile with one quip!

              As I sat back up to enjoy my cup, I could not help but wonder if her conversation with Thomas went well. She wasn’t saying much, but she did not have the look on her face that emphasized if something did not go well; basically, if her brow was scrunching down and her eyes were narrowed, you knew something bad had to have happened.

            “Soooo…” I said to break the silence.

            “So, what?” she asked, eyes still in focused on the flower design she was making.

            “Well…what did you think of Thomas?”

            That made her look up. She set the needlework aside, folded her hands in her lap, and looked up at me.

             “I will say this,” she said, “he is not like other gentlemen that either your father or I know. He is very cultured, intelligent, and certainly has a good head on his shoulders. There are few things about him that I question…one thing is his age.”

            I knew she was going to bring that up. “Do you know how old he is?” I asked.

           “Do you?” she asked again, as if to emphasize it.

           “Yes, he told me when we were at dinner; he is thirty-three.”

           She nodded; he must have told her as well (or asked him to be nosy, one or the other). “Are you comfortable with that age difference? You and he are over ten years apart.”

          “But you and Father are seven years apart, and you two have worked out very nicely.”

          Mother shrugged a bit. “Another thing that I question is the matter of his job; he is a lawyer, but he isn’t paid like other lawyers.”

          “Please tell me you did not ask him what he gets paid, Mother…”

          “I didn’t, but he made it very clear that is he is of middle class status-"

         “But so are we, Mother! Upper Middle Class, almost the highest! And so is he, and he also has a handsome wage coming from his parents when they pass. Besides, Thomas says he wants to start his own practice one day, and I think he will-"

          At that moment, Mother put a hand on my forearm to make me stop going on. “You also have to realize that you are the heir to your father’s company. Once he dies, God willing, you become the owner of R.H Branford & Company and you will carry on your father’s legacy. I don’t want to see it and the family fortune fall into the wrong hands.”

         Did Mother honestly think that if Thomas were to marry me, it would only be for my fortune and status? “Mother…Father has taught me everything I need to know about running a company such as his, and I have no intention of losing that sense of drive within me. As for Thomas…I do not think he wants me for my heiress status. I think he does indeed love me over what I get when both of you pass on. I know what I am doing; you just have to trust me.”

        Mother’s face softened and she nodded. She had to come to terms that I wasn’t a little girl anymore and that I could handle myself. It would take some getting used to, but she would have to do it.

        “Is that all the negativity?” I asked.

        She sighed and said yes. “So, if you must know what I think of Thomas…” She looked into my eyes and smiled. “I like him…I really do.”

        My mouth opened a little in shock. Did she really just say what I think she said? She _liked_ him? My mother usually didn’t like anyone she first met; it took her until Evangeline and I were both ten before she started to like her!

        “Are you being serious?” I asked, and I pressed my hand against her forehead, “Mother, are you sure you are not ill?”

        She swatted my hand away and laughed. “Of course I am fine, and yes, I truly mean what I said. Even thought there are some things about him that wary me, I think he is a nice man for you.”

       I smiled ear to ear and hugged her, thanking her for opening herself up to him. “We should have him for dinner, Mother! I told him-"

       She put her hands in mine, and had me sit. “I did ask him if he would have dinner with us this week; however, he said he would tell us if he was available since he has many clients to take care of this week. We will have to see…but hopefully he can. Now, go upstairs and get ready dinner; it is nearly six o’clock.”

       I left the parlour with a new hope in my heart. I practically danced back to my room, and into my bed. As I hugged the pillows, I couldn’t help but think that my life was about to change from this point forward, and nothing bad could ever change it. But in my subconscious, the notion that something wasn’t right with Thomas remained. Even though I didn’t want to think about it, it would be there to come back and haunt me…


	8. The Opera

            During the course of the week, I hardly heard from my new beloved. I had sent him a handwritten letter that said my parents requested his presence at dinner on Wednesday evening, as well as little side notes saying how much I missed him since we last saw each other. Yes, I know many have said that one should not mention the longing for the significant other in post letters when it has been less than a week since seeing one another, but it wasn’t as bad as when he sent me the letter back. He wrote back regretting that he would be busy with clients and work for the rest of the week, and was truly sorry for not being able to spend time with me. I thought the note was completely done, and that he probably did not want to see me on purpose even though he wrote “With my love” before signing his name.

             It was then that I turned the letter around to find a poem etched in red ink on the back. It was a love poem about me, describing all my assets that he loved and admired. Describing me as “fair and as beautiful as a faerie queen,” my heart melted at the words written on the page. My mind switched back to how he truly did admire and even love me. Why I ever doubted, I will never know, but then again, maybe that is how someone in a new relationship will think…even if some doubts still remained.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

            And so, the week came and went. I had about fourteen children total come to the home for piano lessons all week, and made a proper increase in profit from the lessons by late Friday afternoon. As soon as I put away the payment from my last pupil into my private money jar, I decided it would be time to get ready for this evening. As I looked through every gown in my dresser, I finally settled upon one that would be more than appropriate for this evening’s performance. It was a deep crimson gown with a dark red sash that tied around the back. There was also a dark red lace trim along the sweetheart neck. For accessories, I wore my velvet black opera gloves and my black pearl necklace with matching earrings. I decided to keep my hair very simple, having Lillian put it up into a sweet, yet loose bun. Admiring myself, I knew I was ready!

            At five minutes after six, a black carriage with gold detailing pulled up in front of the house. Saying good bye to my parents as I pulled on my cloak, I grabbed my reticule and fan and dashed down the stairs and into the carriage. Evangeline sat inside, looking at herself in her portable glass. I could not see what she had on for a dress, but she had her hair in an elaborate up style with three long feathers pinned on one side, her cloak was a vibrant emerald green. She looked away from the glass and over to me as the carriage began its journey to Covent Garden.

             “Are you really wearing _that_ gown?” she asked, a bit concerned and a bit apprehensive.

           “What’s wrong with it?” I asked, looking down at it within the confines of my black cloak.

          “It’s just…so unappealing. You want to be seen while at the opera; people are going to be looking into our box from all directions and one must look their best.”

            I rolled my eyes. “I am going to see my favorite opera, not to the zoo. If you want to be on display, then be my guest.”

          Evangeline smiled coyly. “ _Darling_ ,” she drawled out, “I am _always_ on display. There isn’t a man in London who can’t take his eyes off me.”

 _Unless the man is blind_ , I thought to myself.

           The carriage made its way through the bustling streets of London packed with other carriages. I only hoped we would make it in time for the overture. But fortune smiled upon us, for at six thirty-five, we pulled up in front of the beautiful Royal Opera House with its marble columns glistening for the illustrious night! The gala at the opera house was one of complete elegance for the high society of London. This was the one night of the year that everyone came out to watch in awe the spectacle that opera had to offer!

          This year, as Evangeline had said, was a premiere performance of Donizetti’s tragic opera _Lucia di Lammermoor_. The story revolves around a young woman of Scottish society who recently lost her mother, and she finds herself falling into an abyss of depression with her only comfort found in her true love. But her love is hated by her older brother, and when the time comes for her to marry, he sets up an arranged marriage with another man. Feeling totally lost and in dire need to escape, Lucia loses her mind on her wedding day and murders the groom after the wedding. She comes down the stairs during the reception, her dress covered in blood as she laments on her lost love, the hatred of her brother, and the slow collapse of her consciousness. I do admit this opera is not for the faint of heart; however, when my mother took me to see it when I was about seven years old, I fell in love with the opera and the art form as a whole! So seeing it again on this night couldn’t have made it any better!

         Evangeline’s family owned box number 7, which was one section above the stage and right next to the proscenium arch. We were practically close to all of the action, even if we had to look down on it. While I read the program (and tried not to gush too much over the fact that my favorite soprano, Amelia Forest, was performing in the title role), Evangeline looked out at all the people coming into the hall and taking their seats. When the Overture finally began, the great chandelier dimmed its candles and emitted a soft glow. My heart raced wildly as it kept in time with the opening of the first act; I forgot how long it had been since I first saw this piece of art; my emotions flooded back in great force. During the second act, when Lucia’s love, Edgardo, is trying to persuade Lucia’s family to not go on with the arranged marriage, I looked to Evangeline. She held her opera glasses to her eyes, but she was certainly not looking at the action on the stage.

        “What are you doing?” I whispered to her.

       “Shh,” she responded, “I am trying to see who is in the other boxes.”

        I rolled my eyes as she began to commentating on the Lady Angelica Kingley with her new and much older fiancé, the Count Daronovsky of Romania, sitting (or rather, having a most intimate kissing session within the shadows) in the box at the other end of the hall. I whispered for her to stop, but she just kept going with each person’s looks and actions in the opposite boxes. As I continued to watch the performance, Evangeline suddenly gasped and put her glasses in her lap. Her lips formed into a wide and giddy grin!

        “What?” I asked slyly, “Did Lady Angelica finally lift her skirts for the Romanian count?”

        “No!” she whispered, “But I just saw something even better!”

        She handed me her opera glasses quickly and pointed to where I was supposed to look. I looked through the glass and angled them diagonally from where we were sitting. I had to focus them a bit until I saw, in the box diagonal from us, who she was looking at.

         “Isn’t that Arthur Wellington?” I whispered. I heard her hum excitedly; looking at the elegant man, he could certainly fit a tail suit properly as well. His hair was slicked back and his suit looked impeccably new. Thank god he was looking at the stage, I felt so rude staring at him from across the way!

         “Let me see my glasses,” Evangeline whispered, “I want to look at him again.”

         I held them out as she ripped them from my hand; shaking my head, I brought my eyes back to the stage as she began to stare at her new fascination of late. I could hear her little giggles and comments of “how handsome” and “look at his sparkling eyes!” Suddenly, she gasped a little and put her glasses back into her lap again. But this time her lips were sucked into her face completely, as if she saw something she wasn’t supposed to.

         “What is it now?” I whispered.

         “What, oh nothing!” she said, “Let’s watch the performance.”

         “Well it must be something; you look as if you had seen a ghost!”

         She rolled her eyes and brushed me off. “He is with someone; it is nothing more.”

         I smiled coyly. “Well, if it is no one, then I must take a peek. Then I can see if the person compares to your _wondrous_ beauty!”

         She tried to keep her glasses away from me, but I pried them from her hands. I focused the lenses once more, and aimed them to Arthur’s box once again. Normally I am not one for spying on others, but I just had to see who this charming young man was with even after flirting with my dear friend. First, in my line of vision was Arthur, who I could see was now speaking to his guest. Moving my head a bit to the left, my eyes beheld the other person who was watching the show, opera glasses over the eyes. The other person was not a woman, but a man…and I slowly realized who this man was. As he lowered the glass, his lovely blue eyes caught the light of the gas lamps below…

          “Thomas…” I whispered. I lowered her opera glasses, and stared almost mindlessly at the floor. “Why didn’t you say something?”

            “I would have, but…well this is our night, and I got scared that you would leave me alone!” Evangeline confessed, wringing her handkerchief in her lap.

            I shook my head, and rested my hand on her arm. “I wouldn’t leave you even if Thomas and I were in the same room; this is our night to spend together as friends…even if you choose to stare at men and not the show.”

            She giggled and nodded, understanding that I could find the balance between love and friendship. She then motioned for me to give her back her opera glasses, and as I assumed, she could not help but take one last peek at the man she admired from afar.

           “I have to admit; it is a bit random that the men we both admire are here on the same night. Strange how both parties can take such an interest in the same area of the arts, and then…oh god.”

         “What’s the matter?” I asked, not taking my eyes away from the stage.

          “I think Arthur sees us…”

          My head whipped up to look at her, and then across the way. I could see Arthur waving at her while she tentatively wiggled her fingers back to him. Then, as I had dreaded, I noticed Arthur motioned for Thomas to look over at us. For some reason, a fear rose up from within me and I slunk down in my seat, trying to cover my face with my black lace fan. Even though I was trying to hide, I could sense that Thomas had his eyes upon me. Suddenly, the sound of applause rang out as the lights began to come up; the first act intermission had begun.

            It was then I noticed Evangeline put her glasses down. “What are they doing?” I whispered.

          “Well…they are talking…and now they are getting up…and they are leaving the box! Oh no, do you think they are coming to see us?”

          My face twisted into a look of mortification. “Why are they coming _over_?” I groaned, now sitting up in my chair.

         “Well two handsome gentlemen see two lovely ladies they know at the same event; you can do the solving of this mystery.”

           I began to panic a little. “Well, they can’t…We shouldn’t be here when they come!”

          “Why on Earth not? What’s the matter; don’t you want to gaze into your beloved’s eyes while watching a massacre onstage?”

            I rolled my eyes. “I am just not prepared for them to be here; this was supposed to be our night and I don’t want to ruin it by splitting up!”

           “What makes you think that?”

           “Hmm, let me see, how should I put this? Once you get your hands on Arthur, you probably won’t let him go?”

           “I would never do that!”

             I almost laughed as a blush crept across her face. “Well, I believe I will hide out in the powder room, and hopefully-“

             A knock came at the door, and our eyes widened. “Who…who is it?” Evangeline asked.

          "It is Arthur Wellington, and guest. May we come in?”

           Evangeline looked at me with those pleading eyes, ones that looked as if tears would fall if she didn’t get her way, and mouthing “please.” I mouthed about five “no’s” and “absolutely not’s” until I finally gave in. As she went to open the door, I took a deep breath and prepared myself to see Thomas once again. Ever since Evangeline’s accusations and my deep thoughts about him being something other than human, I feared his actions towards me would be terrible and loathsome since we have not seen each other in almost a week. The door creaked open and the gentlemen made their way into the box; this was it!

            “It is so wonderful to see you again, Arthur. How I have missed you since the tea at your lovely home,” Evangeline cooed as the young man gave her a tender kiss on the cheek, “You do remember my friend, Victoria, do you not?”

           “Indeed, I do,” Arthur said with a warm smile as he approached me. He kissed my hand with a warm tenderness. “It is very nice to see you again, Miss Branford.”

            I said almost the same thing, and nodded. Then, my eyes fell upon the man who I was practically seeing now. When our eyes met, I could feel my heart melt and ache for him all at once; all my fears seemed to slip away in the one instant! He smiled and lowered his head to my cheek, giving it a sweet and chilled kiss. In the silence of our greeting, all the words of the world didn’t need to express a greeting between the two of us. As he pulled away, he allowed his lips to lightly brush against mine…that teasing man!

           “Well, well,” Arthur said as he leaned against the balcony of our box, “what brings you ladies to this lovely evening at the Opera House?”

            “Well,” I began before Evangeline cut in, “this is my favorite opera and my lovely friend here thought it would be good if we come to get away as friends for the evening. And may I ask what brings you gentlemen here?”

             Arthur chuckled a bit. “Well, my parents were supposed to come tonight; however; mother became ill again. Her health is so incredibly fragile, so she gave me the tickets. And well, since I do not have a special someone to attend with, I asked if Thomas wanted to come.”

           “ _Yes_ ,” Thomas began with a sigh, “Arthur said I should take a rest from all the work I have been doing lately, and suggested I come to the Gala with him. I am, after all, a strong supporter of this art form, and yet, I do not get out enough to come and experience it.”

            He looked down on me with his glistening eyes, the blue oddly darker than normal. I could feel myself blushing and turned my gaze away back to the people before us. As I listened to Evangeline and Arthur talk, I suddenly felt something cross my lower back! My eyes went wider than normal and discreetly turning to look, I saw Thomas’ hand sitting right where I felt the slightest pressure. My heart started to go faster; my breathing became a little swifter. What if someone should see from below? We obviously did not announce anything yet, and more than likely no one knew that we even had decent conversation. As far as I knew (unless Thomas happened to tell Arthur), Evangeline was the only person who knew our secret affair! I looked back up to him; he stared straight ahead, as if he was intently listening in on the conversation, but I could tell his mind was somewhere else! If he knew what he was doing, he was truly being daring about it!

          “That sounds like a wonderful idea!”

           I turned my attention back to reality to find Evangeline grasping Arthur’s hand quickly and then making our way towards me. She grasped my shoulder and asked, “You don’t mind, do you?”

            I was so confused by this point, and for some odd reason, I didn’t protest; I just shook my head like a complete idiot! “No,” I whispered, “I suppose…wait-“

           “Excellent! Oh this is going to be just lovely!”

            Then, I felt a hand grasp mine as I looked back to see Thomas was leading me to the door. It was then Evangeline pushed my reticule and fan into my hands, and whispered in my ear, “And by the way, if you feel eager tonight, just try and think of what I would do if you get stuck…” She winked and made her way back to her seat, while Arthur began to sit in mine! As I crossed through the threshold, Thomas closed the door behind us. I shook my thoughts back to consciousness and looked up at him.

             “I’m…sorry; did I miss something?” I asked, having no idea what occurred only moments ago.

              A small smile crossed his lips. “Well, it seems your…should I say ‘friend?’ Hmm, well, your ‘friend’ began to make small talk with Arthur and, her charms getting through his somewhat dim-witted mind, suggested that we move over here to this box for the rest of the evening. However, Arthur said there wasn’t enough room for four people, so he asked if we switch companions for the evening; she was more than willing to comply with the idea…”

             Once he said that, it did not surprise me in the least. Naturally, Evangeline loved to be with me and have my company, but when a man entered the picture, I became second fiddle in her eyes. I rolled my eyes and sighed. “So what does this mean for us?”

             “I believe this means we have the Wellington box all to ourselves, my sweet.” He held out his arm, waiting for me to take hold. I was nervous to take hold, fearing what the people might say when they saw us together!

            “Isn’t this a bit…risk taking?” I asked softly.

             “Why?”

             “Well…we have not…I mean, we have yet to make our relationship official in… _their_ eyes. Won’t people talk if they see us?

             Thomas tilted his head to side, his eyes looking into me with compassion and curiosity. His hands slowly found a way to mine, and taking it in his, he said, “What does it matter what those people out in the lobby think? All that matters is what we know, and what lies within our minds as right. Does that make it more than simple to understand?”

              As I let his words sink it, I knew that deep down, he was right. We should not let what others around us think; all that mattered was what we thought and how we should express our love out in the open! I nodded in complete understand and allowance; he smiled and allowed himself as small kiss as he took my arm into his.


	9. A Hint of Terror

           Thomas slowly led me from Box 7 and out into the shimmering second level lobby, where all sorts of the elite gathered to share a glass of champagne and a gossip or two. He carefully made his way through the crowd as if he was gliding on water while I awkwardly tried to duck and shimmy in between trails of gowns and tailcoats. A few people looked at us, either trying not to make it obvious or looking straight at us, their eyes wide open. One woman looked right into my eyes just as we turned the corner to the area where box entrances were; her stare seemed to say “What kind of a pair is that?”

            We only had to walk a little bit more until we reached the Wellington box, and at that moment, I heard the chimes which told the patrons the opera would continue in a few minutes. Upon entering the box, Thomas took my reticule and ushered me towards the seats. As he hung it upon one of the hooks near the door, I took my seat. Looking down onto the crowd walking back to their seats, it was almost like a small parade of lace and feather, black silk and shining colors. It wasn’t until I turned to find Thomas looking at me that I realized I was practically hypnotized by the procession of the wealthy! I jumped a bit, realizing he was in my presence. As we shared a small laugh, he gently took my left arm and ran his hand over the glove.

            “How is your wound?” he asked me, as his eyes crossed over the area with concern.

            “It has healed a little,” I told him, allowing myself to remove the glove so that he could look, “I had to take off the bandage you put on me, and replace it with a fresh one a few days ago. It was really very deep, but it is starting to go back.”

            He began to run his hand over the bandage, eyes still full of concern, delicately touching the material. “I feel terrible that this had to happen to you,” he whispered, “Skin as delicate as your must never be scathed…”

            I smiled sweetly. “You mustn’t worry about me so much; accidents are going to happen and no one can prevent them.”

            “That is true,” he said as he slowly cupped his hand to my cheek, “but you deserve to have the most perfect skin, even if you already do.”

            My eyes fluttered; even if we were apart, his words still flattered me completely! He slowly leaned in and placed a gentile kiss to my lips as the lights dimmed in the hall, the third act about to begin! As we watched the performance in silence, Thomas allowed himself to thread my fingers through mine, drawing small circles with his thumb on the top of my hand. His cold fingertips were a comfort on my warm flesh, almost like placing a blanket over your body. I would find myself glancing to my beloved who was fully focused on the action below. The glow coming from the stage against his cheekbones and jawline made him seem almost unearthly; the melancholy that crossed his face was only emphasized by this subtle action.

            The moment of the opera finally came when Lucia loses her mind on the day of her wedding. As Amelia Forest began to sing Lucia’s aria on the grand staircase of her family’s home, _Il dolce suono...Spargi d'amaro pianto_ , I sat up in my seat, watching all the movements she did as she sang. Her voice lifting all the right notes toward the heavens, her song of sorrow and madness resounding through the space. As she continued, I could feel myself becoming overwhelmed with the swell of the music and the soaring of the soprano voice. Through all of this, I felt myself lifting away from my body, my soul floating high above me. As Lucia sang of her lost love all while caressing her now blood soaked dress, I felt emotional; it all stemmed from my newfound love. And it hit me…what if all of this was wrong? What if Thomas wasn’t the one? What if he was hiding secrets, shying away from reality with sweet and gentile words, only to have me come crashing down into a bottomless pit of damnation?

            “Darling?”

            I snapped out of whatever mind fantasy I was having and I looked up towards Thomas, his eyes with more concern in them. “Victoria, are you all right?”

            I could feel my brow wrinkling in confusion. He got out of his chair and walked to the hooks. He pulled out my little mirror from my reticule, and held it to me. I took it tentatively, and held it up to my face. Looking into the glass, I gasped almost breathlessly. My eyes were a blazing bright red, while my cheeks glistened with the flow of tears they had produced. I also realized I was breathing heavily, my breath trying to compose itself from all the crying I had done. I put down the mirror and tried to shield my face, embarrassed as to god knows what happened!

            “Here, darling,” Thomas whispered, handing over a crisp white handkerchief, “Compose yourself.”

            I took it gratefully and, with head bowed, wiped away all the tears and allowed myself a moment to breathe. It was then there came a great applause from below and all around, and I looked up to see the curtain swishing shut. The final intermission began as the lights came up in the hall once more. As I wiped away what moisture remained, I folded the handkerchief carefully, and started to give it back to Thomas.

            “Oh no, please. You may keep it; I have plenty more where that came from,” he reassured me.

            I thanked him, and carefully placed it into my lap.

            “Are you all right?” he asked again.

            I smiled. “Yes,” I whispered, “I think…I was just having a moment. It has…been so long since I have seen this opera; I suppose I forgot how emotional it really is.”

            He took my hand that rested on the armrest, and curled his fingers around mine once more. Lifting it to his lips, he allowed my knuckles to brush against his lips. Looking down on the people, he whispered, “It is quite the emotional spectacle…but are you sure it is nothing else?”

            I could feel my heart flutter within. I began to worry that he could feel my inner fears that resounded from the back of my subconscious. I slowly turned my head to face him; he was now staring at me with those eyes. Eyes that seemed to slip within my mind and could read those thoughts that swirled within the chambers. I nodded slowly, my eyes, however, saying a different story. And he could see that, although he did not say a word. He began to lean in, taking his hand from mine and placing it under my chin, his fingers placing themselves delicately about my skin.

            His lips, with breathe hot and graceful across the shell of my ear, played and threatened upon the words, “Please… _tell me_ …” In no way was it sexual (even if I subtly reacted that way), it was certainly serious…

            I felt myself losing all sort of will as I began. “It is nothing to worry myself over…however, since we have been apart…I have been doing some thinking.”

            I turned my eyes back to him; he had a strange look to his eyes, one that held back some inner part of his thoughts. It was fear, crossed with the anticipation of rage with a bit of impending sadness put in for good measure. These eyes could have killed me if they were a deadly weapon!

            “Go on…” he whispered harshly.

            I swallowed, trying to find the strength to continue. “It is not that I don’t care for you, Thomas…my darling, _I do_! It is just…I have been told some things and-"

            I suddenly felt his hand grasp my arm fiercely, and as I was about to leap from my chair, his other hand grasped the right side of my face; his fingertips carefully touching my skin with an eerie tenderness. I feared that someone would see this action from within the box, but that was just it. No one cried out for him to stop; it was just he and I. He stared into my eyes, and looked as if on the verge of tears, and yet, they looked as if they were going to burn a hole in my skull at any second! I wanted to look away, but I was caught.

            “What have you been told?” he asked, a hushed and threatening tone ushered from his crimson lips.

            Now I was scared. “Please! It was just something stupid that Evangeline said. She thinks you have something wrong with you since you have your medical conditions. She thinks these awful things because you are sensitive to the light, and can only consume certain things! Please, please don’t hurt me, Thomas, _please_!”

            I found myself shedding tears once again, not for my conflicting ideas, but for the sake and sanity of my love. I feared my life at one moment; the way he held and spoke to me almost foretold my fate. And it scared me to see him like this for this was a whole different side to him that did not match to his normal demeanor. Suddenly, I could feel his fingers remove themselves from my face and he slowly brought his hands and arms around me, enveloping me close to his warm and welcoming body. If I listened closely, I could hear his beating heart between the multiple layers of fabric; it soothed me from my fright as his hand began to pet my hair.

            “Oh, sweet Victoria, forgive me,” he whispered, his voice now more normal, “I…don’t know what came over me…you mustn’t think me frightful! Oh…knowing that I have made you cry breaks my heart.”

            He took his hand away from my back and reached down for the handkerchief. Slowly raising my head up, he wiped away the moisture that had collected upon my cheeks again. Looking into his eyes, I could see they had softened to their normal position. I slowly felt a smile inch onto my face.

            “There is that pretty face I like to see,” he whispered, his fingers tracing the curves of my cheek, “Now, what is all this nonsense about Evangeline and things she has told you?”

            I blushed. “Oh, it is nothing really…it is just…oh, you would think me silly if I told you what she has believed.”

            “I would think nothing of the sort,” he said as he lifted me back into my seated position.

            “Well…” I said as I wrung the handkerchief around my fingers, “she said that…well, because of you conditions, they have the similarities to…”

            “ _Yes_ …”

            “Well…” I took a deep breath, “she said you have the similarities of…of a…Oh, look, she believes you to be a vampire!”

            I covered my mouth with my hands, embarrassed to even believe I had just blurted the secret out! For a moment, Thomas looked astonished by my comment. And then, he chuckled. This chuckling ultimately led to laughter, which in turn became a wild laugh that rang out over the hall! I tried to silence him, but this laughter was going to take a moment to die down. There was no doubt in my mind that people were staring into the box at this very moment, turning up their noses at such ludicrous behavior.

            When Thomas finally slowed his laughter down, he said through breathless gasps “ _My, my…_ not only is your friend practically… _daft_ , she is also…ha…quite the _fantasy_ maker!”

            I shrugged. “You would have to excuse the comments made against you; she does have an overactive imagination…and I feel just as foolish. I let her words influence me…but now I know. You could never be such a thing! Those silly monsters only exist in fairy tales.”

            He nodded slightly. “As do princes, my dear. But there are real life princes; can it not be said for those “monsters” as well?”

            I was about to respond to his strange comment, when the lights began to slowly dim. As the final part of the opera began, the question he posed simply did not want to leave my brain! Whatever could have he meant by that?


	10. The First Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *DISCLAIMER: I do not know the plotlone for the upcoming movie "Crimson Peak" and therefore I am writing based on inspiration from my hopeless romantic heart :3 I do hope you enjoy the story, and please leave feedback! Anything (except anything offensive ;) ) is encouraged! Thank you!!!

             Once the opera had ended and the cast took their bows to thunderous applause, Thomas and I left the box, and went to look for the companions that we came with earlier in the evening. Entering the main lobby, we found the two near the entrance, already wearing their cloaks as if wanting to leave. Thomas turned to me as we descended the staircase and asked if he could get my cloak for me. I gladly accepted and handed him my ticket, as I went to meet up with the two. 

            “Did you enjoy the performance?” I asked both of them as I approached.

            “It was most engaging,” Arthur began, “very thrilling and very charming in style!”

            “Hmm,” Evangeline hummed seductively to me, “if you only knew what he was _really_ talking about…”

            My eyes widened; I really hoping she wasn’t implying what I thought she was! And if she was implying more than just a thrilling time watching a show, she could keep those devious thoughts to herself!

            “Well,” Thomas said as he approached, “shall we say good night to our lovely female companions?”

            Arthur and Evangeline suddenly looked at each other before tentatively turning back to us. “Actually, Mr. Blax-oh! I mean, _Thomas_ , Arthur and I decided that, well, we wanted to spend a bit more time together since he wants to see my extensive collection of… _medieval tapestries_ at our home. So we were thinking, would it be all right if you and Victoria went home together. After all, you are a couple now; it would make the most sense.”

            Was she really going to do this? She told me herself she did not want to leave each other this evening and now this? “What shall I tell my parents if they do not see me come home in _your_ carriage?” I asked her.

            “Hmm, well considering your position, how about this; I will have my driver send a note along to your home saying that you will stay the night with me, and return home tomorrow afternoon. That way, it won’t look like you spent the evening out… _scandalously_.”

            “Well, then it is settled?” Arthur asked, “Thomas, you do not mind finding a carriage for you and Victoria do you?”

            “Not at all, my friend,” he responded with an air of dark elegance.

            “Excellent! You are a true comrade! Come along, Evangeline; I cannot wait to see your medieval tapestries!”

            Before they could leave through the doors, I grabbed Evangeline by the hand and pulled her into me. “Is this some kind of act of revenge?”

            “No!” she responded as if insulted, “Why do you ask? I just want to have a bit of fun; Arthur is such a sweet boy, and, if you ask me, he needs to be ‘roughed up’ a bit!”

            I rolled my eyes. “You will write that note? I mean it Evangeline, the last time you said you would do something for me, you didn’t! And I had to take care of it myself at the last minute!”

            “I will write it! I promise; you are my friend, and that is what friends do. Help each other, right?”

            Honestly, the look on her face told me ‘distrust’ more, but I wasn’t going to say another word to her. It was obvious that she had one goal for this evening, and I wasn’t about to hold her up any longer. I nodded, and let her go; she was immediately in the arms of Arthur Wellington once more as the exited the Opera House. And there I stood, looking like a complete fool!

            “Come,” I heard Thomas say, “we must see if we can fetch a carriage.”

            I followed him through the doors, and stood beside him as he tried to find an empty carriage that could take us home. None seemed available until he asked a cabbie if any more should be arriving. The cabbie, with a strong Cockney accent, told him there was a shortage of drivers this evening, and only a few carriages were brought out; whatever carriages were there at the Opera House were the only ones for the evening.

            Thomas looked back to me pitifully, and thanked the cabbie. He walked back to me, and took my hands in his. “My home is not far from here, and if Miss Grayson says she will write that note like she is supposed to, I do not see why you cannot stay the evening at my home.”

            My eyes opened wide, afraid to even think of the notion of staying the night in another man’s home. Even if we were in a relationship, it seemed frightening to consider staying with him.

            “What will I do about clothes?” I asked him.

            “Don’t worry,” he said, squeezing my hands in reassurance, “we can think of something when we come to that point. Come, we have a bit of a walk ahead of us.”

            He took my arm in his, and began to head away from the bustling crowd towards the quant street which Thomas lived upon. As we walked, my mind went back to how Evangeline treated me moments ago. Frankly, we were friends, and she was so worried that I would leave her during the evening. Yet when she found opportunity in another man, she had no qualms for dropping me like a hat to the floor…

            “A penny for your thoughts, my dear?” I heard Thomas ask.

            I looked up; we were not even near a hint of moonlight and yet his eyes still sparkled with an ethereal glow! I took some kind of comfort in the knowledge that I could lose all bad thought within the swirling seas that were his eyes.

            “I just feel…ridiculous,” I confessed, “I mean, with Evangeline leaving me for some man, and dropping me with you. Oh, well, not that you are _bad_ , it’s just…oh, I simply don’t know any more!”

            Thomas chuckled at my embarrassment. “If it is any condolence, I don’t mind that you and I were dropped by our respected companions from this evening. However, the situation regarding is a bit-"

            Suddenly, a noise came from one of the alleys we passed while making our way to Thomas’ home. We turned at the sound and froze in our tracks; Thomas silently bid me to stay quiet while he went to see what made the noise. I found myself looking at the surroundings we entered. A fog had settled in and practically covered the nearly blackened street; it wasn’t as if we were in the East End, but it was still very dark and almost frightening to be out so late on a deserted street such as this one!

            “What was it?” I asked him as he came back.

            “I think…” he hesitated, “I think it was just a tabby cat, nothing more…Come.”

            We continued on towards his home, as he continued with his thought. “Now, as I was saying, the situation we encountered was a bit out of line. Now combined with your friend’s enigmatic lust for life combined with my friend’s dim-witted brain, it is simply a concoction for disaster…or at least a potential regret for the next morning.”

            “Are you saying that both of them are as stupid as they are acting?” I knew that Evangeline acted before she thought, but perhaps Thomas saw something more.

            “What I am saying is that…well, Evangeline is like a…a black panther. She is a beautiful creature to look at, but what it comes down to is she will get anything she wants, and she will prey on it until she has it. And Arthur, although quite smart in the area of books and work, is precisely clueless in the area of feminine worth. He is much too nice for girls who want some _appetite_ in their liaisons. Therefore, he is the prey to Evangeline’s predator, and that is why their current relations are potentially destructive. It would be a miracle if they ended up like us…”

            I was utterly astonished by Thomas’ remarks! “How did you get all of that from just seeing them before we left?”

            He smirked quite deviously. “To be honest, when I wasn’t looking at the performance, I could see the two “lovebirds” practically eating each others’ lips in her box. A most unbecoming sight in a public setting, don’t you agree, my sweet?”

            My eyes fluttered, and knew I should just keep my thoughts to myself. It was all so strange how Thomas could create this predator/prey analogy on the spot and associate it with the devious nature of human beings. It was then my doubts began to creep up again, but I suppressed them like a good girl, and turned my thoughts towards getting in out of this oddly chilled night air. As we continued to walk, I couldn’t help but notice that the fog was becoming thicker as we went further into it. I began to worry about losing our way.

            “Are…are you sure we are going the right way, Thomas?” I asked nervously.

            “Naturally, Victoria,” he said confidently, “I have a keen memory as to where my home is. So there is nothing to fear.”

            “But we are in such a dark area, and this fog isn’t helping anything…”

            “I can assure you nothing is going to happen, especially with myself here. I won’t let anything happen.”

            I found myself clutching to his arm, closer than ever. I could smell the strong scent of cologne clutching his clothes, and I heard him sigh slightly. I could feel my heart speed up with agonized pulses, even if he said we were safe I couldn’t help but-

            “Ragh!”

            Out of nowhere, a black figure jumped from behind the corner we had just turned and pried Thomas from my grasp. I screamed as Thomas tried desperately to take down his attacker, but his opponent was swifter! In one fierce and terrible blow, he punched him near the temple, and I cried out as Thomas fell to the ground, a small trail of blood escaping his lips. I started to run to my beloved when the attacker caught me round the waste and dragged me towards the building behind me. He forced me into the wall, slowly beginning to drag his fingers down my face.

            “Hnn…you’re a pretty one, aren’t ya’?” he asked me, his breath disgustingly warm and smelling of booze and old cigars.

            “Please…please, I will give you anything you want,” I begged desperately, “Just let me go so I can tend to my friend.”

            “Oh I don’t think the lad will be waking up anytime soon, pretty girl…In fact, he may already be _dead_ …”

            I shuddered at his words. _Dead_? He couldn’t be dead; there was no possible way! I wouldn’t believe it until I saw for myself, and that meant trying to get this man away from me as soon as possible!

            “I have a little bit of money in…my purse, s-sir,” I responded trying to get my stuttering words to come out while trying to hold back tears, “It is…not much, but…if you will take it-"

            “I don’t want ye’ money, girl!” he whispered fiercely, and he slowly brought his fingers down my cheek, and down the neck while heading towards my sacred parts, “I want something _more valuable_ …”

            He chuckled with a sickness to it. Whoever this man was, he was not going to have me, especially not like this, on a darkened street, helpless and innocent! I began to struggle and call for help, but no one seemed to cry out or come to our aid. Suddenly, the man’s hands found their way towards the clasp of my cloak, but instead of prying it open, he took his disgusting and blackened hands, and ripped open not only the cloak, but also the top of my gown. The glowing and swollen tops of my bosom were revealed, and he licked his awful lips, anticipating the taste of my delicate flesh. I leaned back against the wall and shut my eyes; was this how I was to die? Was this how I was to be taken away even as my love probably had already left his earthly bonds? I dared not think it.

            “Away…from… _her_!”

            I could sense the attacker moving away from my body swiftly, and when I opened my eyes, I saw Thomas had awakened, and had begun to tackle the man to the cobblestones!

            “Thomas!” I got up and began to go near him.

            His head whipped around, his eyes blazed with strongly dilated pupils. “Stay back!” he growled, and he turned his attention back to the man, who had begun to cry out in agony.

            As I kept my distance, I could hear a new growl, almost animal-like come from my beloved. “You _dare_ threaten to rape my love,” he hissed, his words cutting the air like a knife to flesh, “and you _dare_ threaten death upon me?”

            “Oh please, ser,” the attacker now blubbering through fearful tears as Thomas wrung his hands around the man’s neck tightly, “I meant no harm, I only-"

            “You only wanted the tender flesh of my beloved, all for yourself, but only for your selfish gain! Yes, that is what you wanted, and you cannot deny it; you cannot deny that even in the face of God!”

            “Please, please, ser! Please let me go…let me go, please!”

            “ _Yes_ …I will let you go…but not alive…”

            Suddenly, Thomas leaned his head back, waiting for a moment, and then, as if life depended so dearly on it, he swung his head down onto the attacker’s neck. The man beneath him screamed bloody murder, and suddenly, I felt as if my heart had stopped. Even in the darkness of the foggy night, I could see thick liquid flow in spurts from between throat and mouth; as it hit the pavement, I looked down to see the dark liquid was colored crimson. _Blood_ … _fresh blood_ came from this man…I slowly sunk down towards the pavement, holding back tears as I watched my beloved Thomas driving his teeth into this man’s neck. I now understood where his analogies for the predator and prey came from, I now realized why he loved the taste of blood on his food, and I now knew why he could possess my mind! All the thoughts I had held back until now were staring me down, and I could not run away from them any longer!

            Then, before he could drain the man completely, Thomas removed his mouth and began to lift the man skyward. As he held him, I could see his arms shake from the weight of the man above him.

            “You deserve worse than death itself for your insolence!” he growled. The man tried to speak, but he could only gurgle out a mouthful of blood down his messed clothing. He stared up into the heavens as if was making his last confession to God…

            “You don’t even deserve to confess your final sins; you deserve to descend to a place worse than _Hell_!” Thomas cried out, as he swiftly and mindlessly snapped the man’s neck. All I could do was stare in horror and awe at what transpired. I couldn’t believe it; my beloved was indeed…a vampire! Thomas then lowered the man to the ground, and turned to me. I gasped as I saw him, hair completely messed and lips stained bright red against his pale skin.

            “ _Victoria_ …” he whispered hoarsely, “I can explain…”

            I suddenly felt weak, and as my eyes closed, all went black…


	11. Thomas' Confession

              I slowly began to feel myself rising from the misty haze of my mind, and back towards reality. With eyes closed, I could smell the soft scent of a fire burning in a fireplace, and feel the warmth of a cloth against my forehead. I could then feel that I was lying on a soft bed covered with cotton sheets; I felt so comfortable and peaceful in that place. But when I opened my eyes, very slowly, I knew I had to face whatever awaited me. The picture, at first blurry, soon dissolved into the man which I longed to see, but also now feared out of confusion and terror. As I looked into those infamous blue eyes, my stomach coiled into a knot and I recoiled from his touch.

            “Victoria,” Thomas whispered, “please don’t…”

            “Get away,” I whispered hoarsely, “get away from me! I don’t want to be near you!”

            “Now, Victoria…I understand that this does not look good on my part-"

            I immediately sat up in the bed, and ripped the cloth away from my head. “You are certainly right this doesn’t look good on your part! You…”

            I stopped, turning my gaze away from him, and began to look around the room. While it was dark, I could tell from the glow of the fire that the wallpaper was a midnight black with a silver vine-like design across it, and I lay in a four poster bed covered in white blankets and pillows. Looking down on myself, I saw I no longer wore my torn gown, but the familiar white nightgown I had worn one week before, my hair taken out of the bun. I knew that I was in his home once again, but this was not the room I had lodged in before.

            “Where am I?” I asked without looking at him.

            “I have brought you to my home…you are in my bedroom.”

            I brought my gaze swiftly back to him, eyes widened with fear. He looked at me with a strange tenderness to his eyes, hands folded in front of him and his head held high. As he stood stoke still in his shirt tails, a feeling of dread in my stomach began to rise.

            “Where is Ms. Dover? Or your other servant, Agatha?”

            “I sent both of them home for the rest of the evening, and…well, I gave them the next few days off.”

            I swallowed hard. “Then…we are alone? No one else is in the home?”

            He nodded slowly. “It is just you and me, my dear…”

            Alone, in a darkened room, and with a man who had just killed another in cold blood! And the still questionable, yet improbable knowledge that this man was a blood sucking creature of the night! Did he honestly expect me to remain calm with that notion still hanging over my head?

“No,” I said at last, “Oh no; I am not having any of this! I am not being…I need to leave!”

            As I tried to get out of the bed, repeating my need to leave the house, Thomas grabbed me and tried to force me back into the bed.

            “Victoria, stop it!” he tried to command, “You must-agh-retain your composure! You need your rest-"

            “Rest!” I stopped my struggling. “I don’t any rest, Thomas! I need…I need…Ugh! I need answers!

            He raised an eyebrow. “ _Answers_?” he questioned, “Victoria…if I could give you those answers, I would. But…it is far too much of a risk to know what I-”

            “Stop!” I said, raising a finger to him to stop his response, “You cannot simply say that you will not tell me who, or rather, _what_ you are! You killed a poor man on the street-"

            “Because he nearly _raped_ you, Victoria!” he said, his voice rising. “Did you honestly think I would let him get away with what he did?”

            “But you’re avoiding the fact that you did not just kill him! You chomped half his neck off, Thomas, and frankly, _normal_ people don’t do that! Only…”

            I stopped myself before I could blurt out the next word that was about to come out of my mouth. Thomas narrowed his eyes at me, looking as if he was about to devour me himself. “Go on…” he growled softly, “ _Say it_ …say what you want to say…I already know what it is that you want to call me, and to say what I am. So go on… _say it_!”

            I turned my eyes away from his, trying to hide the gently falling tears. Even if his voice had a growl to it, I could still hear the sadness hidden behind the words he spoke. What if he knew what kind of monster he was? What if he did not want to be considered the monster that he seemed to be? Until he could confess his true thoughts to me (if he desired to confess his true nature), how could I possibly believe him to be more than the man I saw only moments ago? A predator, a creature, a vampire?

            “Thomas…” I whispered, “please…I know this is traumatic for the both of us. But, please…I need to know. I need to know the truth; what is going on? I must know, Thomas. If you love me…I must know…”

            He turned away from me, and walked to the fireplace. He folded his hands behind his back and just stood there, perhaps contemplating or scheming something dreadful. This agonizing silence was becoming most uncomfortable, and I feared my life even more within it!

            “If I tell you…can you promise me one thing?” he asked lowly.

            “Yes,” I said.

            “You must promise to tell no one of my secret. What I will tell you is all true; I have no reason to hide my true self from you any longer. But you must promise that you will tell no one, even if they torture you. Do you understand?” He turned back, his eyes almost black against the shadows of the room. “Do you understand, Victoria?”

            I nodded, the suspense eating away at my core.

            He turned back to the fire’s glow. “I suppose I should start off with, well, what you saw only moments ago. I am what people call now as they more than likely have for centuries, a vampire. However…to say that I am a _true_ one is difficult. You see, Victoria, I was not changed into one, or killed and then brought back to an undead life as some have; I, under the most unfortunate circumstances, was born like this. But being born like this was not my decision.”

            He walked over to his dresser, and began to rummage through the drawers. At first, I was confused by this action until he produced a picture frame. He walked back to me, and held out the frame for me to take. I slowly grabbed it and brought it towards my line of vision. The painted portrait was of a beautiful young woman who had pale porcelain-like skin and shimmering blue eyes. Except for her hair, which was a golden blonde, I could see so many features of Thomas in her.

            “Was this woman related to you?” I asked.

            He sighed as he sat down on the bed, keeping a distance between us. “She was…my mother; my _real_ mother.”

            I was shocked, and utterly confused. “But the woman in the portrait with your father that I saw, isn’t she-"

            He shook his head solemnly. “That is my stepmother; I only call her ‘mother’ because I never knew my real one, the woman you see before you in the painting. Her name was Elizabeth, one of London’s shining gems of high society. She was my father’s first, and _only_ love.”

            “What happened to her…if I may ask?”

            “It is…such a tragic story, but it must be told if you are to ever understand…It happened about nine months after their wedding, and my father was away on business. He left my mother, obviously with servants, but she was still alone. At night, according to my mother’s head maid, Lucy, she loved to keep her bedroom window open and let the cool air come in and soothe her. But one night, as she slept, someone…someone came into her room. How they got onto the third floor balcony to her room no one ever knew, but suddenly, Lucy heard her screams throughout the house, and she ran to help her. But when she got there, she came just too late. My mother…was apparently lying in a tangled mess, and she was distraught. When her maid asked what had happened, my mother begged her not to tell my father what had occurred. She did not wish to be…she did not want the family to be dishonored…”

            “Your mother…your mother was _raped_!” I exclaimed, “Oh Thomas, that is awful!”

            He nodded, and began to continue. “As time went on, my mother eventually discovered she was pregnant; the first for the family! But this pregnancy, according to Lucy, was most uncomfortable for her. She could not sleep at night and found that keeping the window open was no longer an option. She began to not eat, and if she did eat, it had to be things that were almost raw, or even undercooked. By the time the baby came, it was already too much for her to bear! When she finally delivered the child, she lost much blood during the procedure and she…she died soon after the child was born. She never got to hold him.”

            “Wait! _Him_? Don’t you mean _they_? Your twin brothers are…”

            And then I realized; I recalled looking at the photographs downstairs, and the twin boys both had a certain trait that they carried from the woman in the photograph who stood beside Thomas’ father. The two boys, even the girl, had light curls to their hair just like their mother’s. And the young boy with the dark hair and eyes had no traits like them…

            “You… _you_ are the oldest…”

            He nodded. “I would have told you that I was…but my brothers and I are so close in age that it did not seem to matter. I was afraid you would question the different looks between my siblings compared to myself. Anyway, once my mother passed, my father was not able to grieve as a widower should. He married my stepmother about a month after; she was a friend of the family and he knew she was in some family disagreements, so he married her out of pity…and to forget. I am not sure he ever really shed a tear for my mother…

            “By the time I was old enough to understand the world around me, I knew deep down that something was wrong with me. I think my father saw it too, but he tried to avoid it. That is until one day, the family was out in our private garden. It was quite sunny and warm, and within a matter of almost an hour, I began to develop a most awful and continuous rash all along my body. It stung my skin like a fire rushing across it; I never felt more pain in my little life. Lucy (she was kept on by my father as my personal maid) immediately called on our family doctor who made the diagnosis that I had some kind of reaction to sunlight which caused the rash, and he gave the recommendation of keeping out of the light as much as possible. But this was not enough for Lucy for she knew other things were wrong with me. She could see that I would not eat or drink certain things, she knew of my secret divulging I did…I…I used to find mice in our cellar and kill them to taste their blood. I never drank! I only tasted…but, either way, she knew other things were not right. So she turned to other practices that could give her the answers.

            “You see Victoria, Lucy, a very wonderful and kind woman, delved into…other areas of interests. She believed in things like the occult and dark magic. She never practiced it, but she knew others who frequented it often to find the answers that their doctors could not give them. She researched, and asked friends of hers to help find what was wrong with me. Finally, she brought me aside one day, and told me what she had discovered. But before she could tell me what she found out, she confessed a secret to me that my mother had told her. On the night my mother was…well, you know…she had a dream of a man above her who whispered kind words to her. She realized soon that this was not a dream, and as he began to struggle against him, he took her round by the neck and bite her; that was the same moment that he claimed her. As he was close to his release, he bite of his own flesh and forced her to drink from him.

            “At that moment, I thought that, because my mother was raped by this… _thing_ , that I was what he was…It was then that Lucy told me of the found evidence regarding the union of…vampire and human. With regard to both…bodies, it is often said that both can only give half of each other. So when that vampire gave half of himself, the woman must also give half. Therefore, I am not completely human…or completely vampire.”

            “But I don’t understand,” I interrupted, “if your mother drank from the vampire, whether she was forced to or not, doesn’t that mean she became a vampire as well?”

            “I thought so to, but Lucy told me that Mother did not drink all of his blood, only a few tablespoonfuls. That may also be another factor as to why I am not like… _them_. All I really know about myself that doesn’t make me a vampire is that I don’t burn or die in sunlight, I can eat and drink other things with some kind of exceptions, and I don’t have to sleep anywhere secluded away from the outer world. I don’t even have fangs! My canines are just more pointed than normal ones, look.”

            He opened his mouth and, keeping my distance, looked inside. His canines were indeed like any other person’s, only a bit sharper in detail. “

           “But I won’t lie to you,” he continued, “I do have the need for blood…I keep my own private collection in my cellar; it is almost like a wine cellar if you think about it, ha ha!”

            He tried to smile at his little joke, but he could see I was trying not to panic over the mention of blood. He continued, “I don’t claim blood from victims. I get my blood supply from the medical schools and hospitals of London. What I did to that man…what I did to you, it was on impulse. Even when I do have impulses, I have a small bottle with me that allow me to have blood on access. But if I don’t carry it around…it becomes terrible. I know I should not let my impulses get to me, but…”

            “Thomas,” I whispered, “I must know…the night we met at the ball, when you had me follow you into the maze…did you…did you want to…”

            “No!” he cried and got up from the bed, “Please don’t say that! Don’t _think_ it! I would never…Oh, Victoria…you must know that I would never harm you-"

            “But did you want to harm me that night?”

            He paused, looking into my wide eyes, filled with fear and sorrow. I had to know, I had to know if I was meant to die that night!

            “Darling…that night, from where I stood, I did begin to crave blood. I looked at all the women out on that terrace to see which one would not be forgotten for a moment, just so I could taste of them to cure my craving. As I was just about to strike, it was then that I saw you. You walked out onto the terrace alone, without any companion. You were so…lovely and innocent from a distance. Something inside of me opened, as if a gate to heaven opened for me and there you were standing at the foot of it! And it was then that I realized…my craving had dispersed! I felt no need to take blood anymore…it was you, Victoria! You did that for me, no other woman who I have crossed paths with has done that for me! And it was then that I knew…I knew that I had to meet you, and speak to you. As soon as I made that choice, you turned in my direction…And when you first looked at me with your lovely hazel eyes, I knew that they were all I wanted to look into…”

            He looked away towards the floor, and I could see tears beginning to glisten in his eyes. “Please…don’t cry…” I whispered, trying to keep myself from shedding my own tears.

            Tentatively, I walked over to him, reaching out my hand and wiped away a single tear that had fallen to his cheek. Although I should be cautious, even wary of what this man could do, my nurturing heart led me to do what I would have done for anyone in this state. But he did nothing; as soon as I touched his cheek, he slowly closed his eyes and felt the warmth emanating from my finger tips. Then, as he looked towards me, I could see a longing in his eyes. He wanted something, but it wasn’t a hunger, or predatory glint; he needed something that only one with a kind and loving heart could give. I nodded, and he gently reached up to take his hand in mine. As he pressed light kisses to my fingertips, my own tears began to fall.

            “Please,” he whispered, “you have to realize that I would never want to hurt you, not my human side nor the vampire side. I long to find out one day how I can rid myself of this…I suppose one could call it a curse, if there is a way out of it.”

            “But what you said before,” I said at last, “when you said that it was I who stopped you from having your…craving, is that true? Did I really do something?”

            He smiled. “Yes…you opened something in me that had been shut for as long as I could remember. I am a kind man, yes, but there was one thing that I could not seem to grasp until I found you…”

            “What was that?”

            He looked me straight in the eyes and gently brushed back the hairs that had fallen into front of my face. “ _Love_ ,” he whispered. It was with that one word that I began to truly drive tears from within. When he saw this, he wrapped me in his strong and soft arms, and began to rock slowly back and forth, lightly hushing me. “And you said _I_ should not cry,” he whispered into my ear. I laughed lightly, and finally looked back into his eyes. They seemed to sparkle like stars due to the amount of tears that had fallen, which gave him an ethereal look against his pale skin. In that moment, it did not matter whether or not he was something other than human; he was a man, a man who had found something in me that I felt I could never give to another!

            Then, he slowly took his hand under my chin and brought his lips to mine. This kiss we shared was soft and sweet, but it was the beginning of something new. The deeper it became, the deeper I felt myself falling into an abyss with him. It was one that was meant for us alone, and no one could take that away from us! He let me go, but kept his forehead to mine.

            “Victoria…” I whispered, “please…stay with me. Stay with me if only for the night.”

            “Yes,” I said back, “but I should go to-"

            I gasped as I found myself swept up into his strong arms. I nuzzled against him as he carried me back towards the bed, and as he lowered me down onto the soft duvet, I could feel his breath against my warm face.

            “But this is your bed,” I protested, “I should be in another room.”

            “I would not have it another way,” he whispered, slowly petting my head, “You look so…lovely. So beautiful in this nightgown…”

            He leaned in to kiss me again, but fearfully, I pulled away. “Please…we shouldn’t! Not after what happened, not after what we talked about! What if…what if you get another craving? What if…”

            He gently kissed my forehead, and looked me in the eyes once more. “I feel fine…granted it maybe drinking that vagabond’s blood, but I feel wonderful! Especially knowing I don’t have to hide myself from you anymore! Oh, I feel like I could do anything! But what I really want is, well, to make up for what happened tonight.”

            “I don’t know…” I said nervously, “Maybe this is our emotions toying with us; we should not give in to them. What if we do something we will regret?”

            He brought his finger down to stroke my cheek; his finger was ever so soft against my flesh. “I promise not to go too far, and no this is not my emotions or _our_ emotions getting the better of us. I don’t think you realize how much I care for you. I do, you know, more than life itself!”

            I turned myself over in the bed, and stared at the wall. “It is not that I don’t know that,” I told him, “It is simply…I am afraid. I have been afraid ever since these…silly thoughts of vampires came into my head. And now that they are real, I don’t know how to react! I can tell you won’t hurt me, you said so yourself. But I just can’t escape the thought that…what if you bite me again? What if you go too far, and…”

            I sighed, trying not to think about the inevitable as I buried my face towards the pillows. “Darling, please look at me,” I heard him whisper. When I didn’t turn back, he merely went on. “I have said it before and I will say it again. Whatever feelings I have for you, it is indeed love, and not hunger. You bring out feelings in me that make me feel completely human, something I have not felt since I was born. You should feel loved yourself. Yes…I know that is what you think in that sweet head of yours; you believe yourself to be unworthy of love, and not good enough for those creatures out in society who call themselves men! But they are not that, for they are _fools_! _Fools_ who don’t deserve your love, and they will _never_ have it! For your love is mine…”

            I squirmed in the bed as he whispered those beautiful and haunting words into my ear, and I knew he was right! I never felt adored by anyone until now, and I never felt worthy of love. All the other girls of high society have chances with eligible men, why not myself?

            “Yes…that’s it. You see now, and you are realizing how much you mean to me. You deserve all that I want to give you. My love, my support, my adoration; I want to change you for the better! You need to fully know what love can do to those who need it, and we shall learn! You and I together; we will conquer all the world has to offer, and we shall have all those who have mocked us at our feet. And they will see that you and I are truly worthy of love. I want you… now and forever. I will never let you go from this moment forward; we will always be one!”

            And with that final word, I could no longer contain the passion in me that began to grow. It was not his words that merely possessed me, but the thought of being his which sent me over the edge! I swirled back to face him, and our lips touched in the most passionate and honest kiss we have ever given one another! I began to feel his cold fingers press against my warm and flushed skin and he brought them towards my heaving breast. I whimpered at the touch, but it was so honest and true that I could not shy away, not now and not ever. On this night, I was not prey and he was not predator, nor would we ever be that way. This night, we were two lovers, embracing our grasps and sighing in the dark. As the fire began to die down, our fire had just begun to spark!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            After much intimacy, I lay in the bed while Thomas slept by side, deeply and soundly. He did not claim me this night, although I wish he had, but what he did regardless was enchanting enough! As I lie beneath the cool sheets, playing with my hair, I stared with curiosity at the ceiling. On it was a painting of Gothic-like angels hovering over the bed, as if they were blessing whoever lied down below them. Smiling at the thought, I turned my attention to Thomas. His face was like pure white snow in the moon light, and as I looked his sweet and beautiful face, I could see him for who he truly was. I knew, deep inside, that this man was no monster. He only wanted comfort, and to be loved. He had no mother, no true father, and he was all alone in the world. To know that a person such as I could change his whole life, it warmed me to my core.

            With his confession, we were going to take new steps in our relationship. If he was not going to hide anymore, then I was not going to hide away anymore! Yes, I was going to be free; I was going to live the life I wanted! I was going to be free, and worthy of his love as he told me that he was worthy of the love I gave. It also occurred to me; this man did not embrace the vampiric nature he had, and he only longed to be a true human. What if I could help him? What if I could help him find a way to the thing he truly desired most? At that moment, I made a vow, whatever I could do, I promised myself that I would find a way to help Thomas become fully human, whatever costs would come from it! This was going to be the start of something grand, and there was no doubt in my mind that I could help him as he could help me. As I drifted towards sleep, I could feel Thomas slowly bring his hand to mine, as if to seal our new vow as lovers. Now and forever, I would be his…


	12. The Order

**Three Months Later**

Here it was…July. Although there was a difference of time, nothing truly changed in the little city of London. A bit warmer yes, but we still had our rain showers to cool things off. Children played within the green parks, and lovers frequented a stroll along the Thames. And I did not change much, nor did my parents or the household; that is, except for Thomas and I, nothing had completely changed. Yes, Thomas and I were still together, and we could not have been happier! Every week, he made it an effort to come to my home to have dinner with my family. While he and father (who instantly made a connection with him when they finally met) would talk politics and business, Mother would find a way during our conversations to ask me when Thomas was going to propose marriage. I tried to explain we were going to wait for the right time, perhaps a year or so before we could make such a large commitment as that, but she was already planning my wedding colors and flowers that I would have.

               But I was not the only one who had found new love in my life. Yes, Evangeline and Arthur had finally declared their relationship official once Thomas and I made ours official to the “public.” However, Thomas and I noticed how their relationship seemed almost theatrical compared to ours. They were almost always together and no more than a few inches from each other. When they were apart, it was as if it was the end of the world…well, for Evangeline it was the end of the world since, whenever it was her and I alone, she would mewl away at how she would not see Arthur until dinner or until they went out together. Although I told her she was being a complete nit about everything, she decided to ignore me, and reflected on how Thomas and I were not like them. We never spent all of our time together, or made attention to our love in the eyes of everyone. But that was just it! Thomas and I did show our love, just in our own subtle and gentle way.

              As he would give his time to spend with me, I did the same with him. Every weekend, we found a way to spend our time together. He would take me all over the city to every cultural paradise that could exist. By June, we have probably visited every museum, library, and theater that London had to offer, but it did not matter. I enjoyed every moment as long as I was with him. However, no matter where we went, we always found comfort in sitting in his manor’s library while he read from various books in his private collection. It almost became a ritual for us when we returned from one of our high societal outings. He would lead me into the library, and as we settled, Ms. Dover would have tea set for us. She would leave us in privacy, and as he read to me, I would lie down on the sofa using his leg as a pillow. I would let his smooth and elegant flowing words lull me into a trancelike state as the words flowed from his lips and the hand that did not hold the book stroked my hair with his thin fingers.

                  Then, when we wished to remain together for longer periods, I told my parents that I was staying the night at Evangeline’s and would pack an overnight bag with new clothes and my amenities. Upon arriving at his home, we would dine together in the comforts of his beautiful dining room, just the two of us conversing against the candlelight; he would talk of work or something historical related, and I would do the same. I loved to tell him about the children I taught piano to, and although I believed him to be bored by this conversation at first, I slowly realized he was fascinated and charmed by how much I cared for children who were not my own. Deep down, I think he wanted children himself.

                 Then, when we had finished, Thomas would excuse Ms. Dover and Agatha for the evening as well as Sunday, which began the true reason for the evening. We’d go to his room, and…well, we would find our igniting passions for each other against his warm bed and beneath his Gothic angels. Although he vowed he would not claim me until we believed it was right for us, he always found a way to make me swoon and buckle beneath him. But what was most romantic was the fact that I could make him feel completely human when we were together. Even if he did not have a blood craving when our heated passions came out, he still felt at home and ever so comfortable with me, and through this, we found heaven…

            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

             One day, after taking a trip to the city to purchase some new novels I had wanted to read, I decided to stop at Thomas’ home for a short visit before going home. Since it was summer, Thomas often worked from home due to his light sensitivity, which was severely heightened during the summer months. It made it much easier for us since the office he worked at refused entry to outside guests besides their clients; also, I just did not want to run into Arthur Wellington since the first question out of his mouth would be “How is my Evangeline?” as he flashed a pair of wet puppy dog eyes. I personally wanted to keep my sanity in check before succumbing to their so called “love.”

            Upon approaching the house and climbing the stairs, I pulled the cord that rang the bell to announce a guest. As I waited, I looked up at the looming structure, and it marveled me how different it looked in daylight than in the evening. Oddly enough, it seemed more imposing than it was when the sun went down. Perhaps it was the way the light caught the blackness of the balconies, or the way the structure was built, but whatever it was, it certainly did not match the other beautiful and prim structures found on this street. And that had to be what I admired most about it!

            Suddenly, the door creaked open, and there before me stood a young girl, probably about fourteen or sixteen, in a maid’s uniform. Blonde curls on each side of her face fell from under the cap she wore.

            “May I help you, miss?” she asked, trying desperately to hide her hint of a Cockney accent.

            “Hello,” I said with a gentle smile, “I am here to see the Mr. Blaxton, if he is available.”

            She looked me up and down, and with a slightly raised eyebrow, she said, “You must be the Miss Branford? Naturally the Master always has time for you. Do come in.”

            She moved over to allow me into the Foyer, and she offered to take my packages and hat, but I told her I would keep them since I was not staying long.”

            “You must be Agatha?” I asked, although I fully knew it had to have been her, “And please, if I may, I don’t mind if you call me Victoria.”

            She turned. “Yes, miss. I am Agatha; has the Master told you about me?”

            I nodded. “He told me how wonderful you are, and I have to agree. I never fully thanked you for…running that errand to my home three months ago.”

            “It’s no trouble, miss…I know how it is with men, and their lovers. I have me own back in the Whitechapel, so I know what you go through. He is in his study; I shall go and announce your arrival, miss.”

            But I insisted to come with her; I did not feel the need to be so formal with Thomas. She nodded, and allowed me to follow her to Thomas’ study. We passed a few rooms before she stopped in front of a small door behind the structure that held the main staircase. She opened it, and revealed a small staircase leading down to a large glow of light. She motioned me to follow, which I did, and she led me down towards where the glowing light came from. Just before we got down, she motioned for me to stop as she kept going. As I waited on the stairs, I heard her knock against the wall, and a murmur of voices. Before I knew it, she was back. “He will see you,” she whispered and motioned for me to go down.

            I thanked her and made my way down the rest of the stairs. When I finally reached the bottom, my eyes open just a bit wider at the sight that I be held. The space was very large for just one man’s study; it was almost the size of our library at home. All around, just like the rest of the home, it was wallpapered with a warm blood red with a black vine detailing. The walls were decorated with many portraits and paintings, many of them random subjects, from young children playing in the forest or of a cottage in the countryside. He also had more of those pretty, yet haunting gargoyles in the corners of the room (as if I could escape their stares if I wanted to), and black velvet covered furniture along the room with a very large Persian rug beneath. Then, my attention was drawn to the left side of the room, where a huge desk of ebony sat covered in papers all very organized and neat, and two large gas lamps with scarlet glass orbs sat on either end.

           And in front, as if in his natural setting, was Thomas, diligently reading and writing down perhaps something important on multiple pieces of paper. I smiled as I watched him work, and admired his choice of dress; his hair was a clean mess, although washed it was still messed from not being combed yet, and along with his natural dressed up attire of blacks, he wore an elaborate silk robe that reached the floor. It was dyed deep red and had an odd design of black and gold swirling about in an elegant pattern. He certainly looked ravishing, and I could not help but stare at his magnificent choice of clothing.

          Then, as I slowly saw him begin to turn, I snapped myself out of my enthralled hypnosis, and stepped down a bit so that he could notice my presence fully. He looked up from the paper, and noticing his eyes shift a bit, looked to see me, and his eyes lit up like two sapphires sparkling!

          “ _Darling_ ,” he said as he came over to me, his cloak billowing out behind him as he walked. I opened my arms to him, and he likewise embraced me. And as a bit of surprise, I felt my feet lift from the step, and he swung me around as I held on, giggling tremendously!

            As soon as I felt myself on the ground once more, I looked up to his smiling countenance. “Now what may I ask did I do to deserve such a greeting as that?” I asked.

           “Because you are here with me,” he said, cupping his hand to my cheek and giving a sweet kiss to my forehead, “and isn’t that what lovers are supposed to do?”

            I shrugged, and he chuckled. “Please, do sit down, and I will join you in a moment once I finish this document.”

            As I settled down into one of the soft chairs and placed my books on the nearby coffee table, he began to explain the importance of the document, using a very expressive and excited tone. How he loved his work! Although some would have regarded it dull and boring, he somehow found amusement in the taking care of and settling of deeds. As he explained, I began to look around the beautiful and wondrous room some more, and my eyes were drawn to the desk once again. It was then I noticed a glass goblet on the table near one of the gas lights. It had a beautiful chiseled design all along the chalice and stem. But then my eyes beheld the liquid that was being held in the glass. Some of it was still pooled to the bottom while some of it that had already been drunk made a streaking and slow red and pink slide down the inner part of the glass. My eyes fluttered a bit when I realized that it was not wine he was drinking.

           “Oh dear!” It was then I was taken from my little trance to see Thomas took the glass from desk and placed it on top of a small cabinet next to the desk. He placed it accordingly so that I may not see it from where I sat. “Forgive me; if I knew you were coming, I would have drank it earlier, maybe faster. It was starting to clot anyway, and I should not have left it-"

           “Thomas,” I interrupted softly, “It’s all right! It did not bother me in the least…did you just say it was starting to _clot_?”

            He smiled a bit, realizing that may not have been a very appropriate thing to say in front of a lady. “Well…that is what blood does after all. Anyway, it is gone…technically, and you won’t have to see it.”

               He then signed a final part of the document and quickly filed it into one of the many desk drawers. Then he gratefully took his place opposite me in the matching chair, took up my hand and kissed it. I think he was trying to make me forget about seeing the blood in the glass, but I was being honest! It did not bother me in the least; yes, I was caught off guard seeing it, but I knew this was what he had to do to live his life without complications to his health, and I could fully understand that. However, it was very sweet of him to try and make me think about something else other than the blood. His pale, porcelain face was full of concern which made my heart melt!

               “I hope I didn’t frighten you with that,” he whispered as his cupped my cheek in his hand, the thumb smoothing itself over my skin.

               “Of course not,” I responded, “I understand…It’s just…I was wondering if…do they know?”

               “Who?”

               “Ms. Dover and Agatha…do they know about your…”

                He sighed and nodded. “I did tell them; I had to tell them. Ms. Dover took it rather calmly when I first told her, oddly enough…but when I told Agatha, the poor thing, she nearly thought I was going to kill her, could you imagine? Ever since then, she has settled down, but she has been wary of any females who have come here, thinking I am going to…attack!”

                “She is young; she will eventually grow out of it. I know you won’t attack me and that is all that matters!”

              He smiled. Even though I knew he would not hurt me, I could see within his eyes there was a look of worry, as if his promise of not harming me would backfire. But soon that thought was shaken, and a look of stern came over his façade.

               “I am glad you came though,” he continued, “I have something that I must tell you.”

               “What is it?” I could sense a shaking of fear within his words. “What’s wrong?”

               He got up and went over to the desk, and, shuffling the papers a bit, soon found a thick piece of paper. He came back and handed it to me. It was folded into three parts with a black skull wax seal on the back which had been broken. On the front was his name and address, and inside was a long message with a border of an elegant mask and ribbons along the top. The message read in detail as if it more of an order than a request:

                               

                                                                                                _To the **Master Thomas Jameson Blaxton**_

_Your presence at L’Ordre du Calice’s Annual Masquerade Ball_

_is hereby called upon. To be invited is a great honor,_

_one that could never be passed up…_

_~_

_All guests must wear their finest attire and be truly masked._

_No makeup formed as a masking device will be accepted…_

_~_

                                                                            _There are to be no outside visitors, except_

_for ONE companion, and only One if you choose to bring someone…_

_~_

_Pure Blood, and other selections of refreshment_

_will be served throughout the evening…_

_~_

_The ball will be held at 233 Queen’s Street, the City of London_

_on the nineteenth of July, eighteen hundred and ninety_

_at precisely nine o’clock in the evening, and will be held until two o’clock the next morning..._

_~_

_Please be on time. Guests will not be permitted in after nine fifteen that evening…_

_~_

_We shall see you in due time…_ **_Le sang est le salut_ **

****

            I shudder a bit at the last line; after taking eight years of French lessons, it seemed almost nothing prepared me for what was scrolled upon the bottom in scarlet ink…dear God, I really hope it was ink!

            “Who sent you this invitation?” I asked as I looked back to Thomas. I could see a subtle look of worry and fear in his eyes. I wasn’t sure whether he wanted to run from the invitation’s meaning or attack it head on.

            “It is from this…group, or Order, if you will. They are one of London’s oldest clans of the undead to ever exist, and nobody has known about them for centuries. That is if you are of some kind of vampiric descent.”

            “But…but you are not completely vampire. How could they even send you an invitation?”

            He chuckled at this, almost sarcastically as if I didn’t know the half of it. “If only that were true. You see, ever since I was eighteen, I have been getting notices and letters from this Order, to join up, go to the parties, meet those of my so-called “kind.” And every time one came in, I simply threw it away. I never had any intentions of joining up. It wasn’t until I truly started to get into my practice that I noticed a rise in clients who were all asking for me specifically. It wasn’t until sooner rather than later I discovered that my newer clients were all…oddly enough the race I tried to avoid…”

            I gasped at this comment. “Vampires! How could…really, how is that possible?”

            “Well, it started with one client who I did not know was one, and he did not know I was partially one. But somehow, he figured out my situation, and well instead of killing me, he loved my work so much, he began to recommend me to his friends. It is all quite amusing.”

            “But these vampires, if they are real ones, which they are, what is the point of them coming to you?”

            “Well, at first when I discovered I had vampires as clients, I noticed many of them wearing rings with the same seal as the wax one on the letter. That is the Order’s insignia, so one day I asked the original client about it. He told me that he was indeed a member, as well as the people he sent to me. I then realized that I could gain more information about this Order through the members to see what it was truly about. Every person I have talked to says that this Order…it is nothing which any vampire has known. They have done…unspeakable things to the human race, especially to women.”

            His eyes looked lost, as if trying to find his next words so I wouldn’t be frightened. I’ll admit, I was already frightened by the demanding air of the invitation, and it also frightened me to even know what these people did to others in the name of their personal freedom.

            He looked back to me. “Do you know French?” he asked with a cocked eyebrow.

            I nodded. “Tell me; what does the name mean in the first sentence?”

            “But don’t you know-"

            He gestured to the invitation; he made it apparent that he also knew French, but he was trying to make a point. I looked at it again. “ _L’Ordre du Calice_ …it means “The Order of the Chalice,” correct?”

            He nodded. “And what does it say at the bottom?”

            I swallowed lightly, as I looked to read the sentence again. “ _Le sang est le salut_ …I believe…I believe it means… 'Blood is salvation…'”

            He nodded again, this time more solemnly, as if he did not want me to repeat the words again. “This Order claims unity among all vampires; however, they have been persecuted for so long by humans who do not understand the way of life. Therefore, vampires of old created this Order to intentionally rid the world of them, and so that they are the main race. It was bloodshed when it first began, and since then, members of the Order had to settle down because of the changing times…although, I don’t see how they couldn’t rise up again. When I talked to my client, he said that while all seemed calm, he could not help but feel there was ‘something hidden’ beneath the glittering surface. So many of the vampires, including my clients, who are part of the group are there because the family has been part of it for years, and when you are a member, you can never leave. The only way out is…well, death.

            “And with the changing of times, many of them find that bloodshed of innocents is not the way out of solving their problems. But because of their position, they are forced into silence! That is the problem with vampires like them; they choose to react rather than think things out! They’d much rather attack than reason…that is why I could never be like them, Victoria.”

            “Is this what you wished to talk to me about?” I asked, almost completely amazed by his monologue of righteousness, but also wondering what this was all really about.

            He sighed and resumed his seat next to me, and he took my hand, holding it with a firm grip. “My love…when I told my client I had never gone to any of the Order’s gatherings, which are incredibly famous in the vampire world, he told me that it was most unwise. Regardless of whether or not I join, I have to go to at least one to honor the Master of the Order. He believes that all vampires, regardless of where they come from or who they associate with, must at least come to one Order of the Chalice event to mingle with their fellow man. Until now, I have never wanted to go for fear that…that I might succumb to their desires to become a whole vampire. But I have an idea that will make myself more comfortable in going. You see, as it says in the letter, I can bring a guest-"

            “Wait!” I interrupted and rose out of my seat before he could say anymore…Was he really thinking what I thought he was? “Are you really suggesting that you will go to this ball if I go with you?”

            “Yes, of course! My darling, don’t you see! You will be there as a guidance for me; you would be right there by my side! I would not feel I was doing this alone.”

            I looked away, and tried to contemplate the matter at hand. “Thomas,” I said turning back to him, “while I would love to go with you, I cannot help but feel this may not be a good idea. I mean, these people are not like you! They are real, life vampires…who suck blood. Blood of which I have, running through my very alive veins! Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

            He began to walk towards me, “Yes, my darling, it does, but-"

            “But nothing! What if something were to happen? What if they know I am not one of them? Isn’t there a way for vampires to tell if there is a human around them?”

            Thomas thought for a moment, and, turning away, walked towards the bookshelf and retrieved a book. It was rather old and the leather on it was starting to peel. As he flipped through the pages, some dust began to fall lightly onto the carpet. It seemed he was searching for an article or paragraph of some kind since he had to squint to find the words he was looking for.

            “Ah, here it is. Come here, I have to show you this,” he commanded softly.

            I walked over and he held out the book to me so that both of us could look at what he found. “Now, this is a book of vampire lore; I had purchased it in my youth when I found out about…well, anyway, it has any, if not all, pieces of lore and myths related to vampires. Oddly enough, most of these are factual in detail. One of which being the way vampires identify humans. You see, many have said it is by the scent of human, or physical traits such as the withdrawn look in the eyes; however, it is much more than that. You see, a vampire has an acute sense of hearing, they can hear almost anything around them. They can hear someone coming from behind to attack, they can hear the laughs of a person almost twenty miles away…and they can hear the heartbeats of anything that lives and breathes, loud and clear as if it is magnified by twice the normal sound.”

            My eyes opened wide in amazement as they read the passage. “Yes,” Thomas said with a chuckle, “that has to be my favorite fact of all. Nothing can be more frightening or romantic as hearing the heartbeat of a person right in front of you without having to get so close…But that is how it is done. That is how a vampire can detect a human, because they long to have the beating within their bodies.”

            “It must be terrible for them. If they are surrounded by humanity, the sound of all the hearts beating must be like a loud drumming in their ears, all the time.”

            “No, they all get used to it after a while; one barely ever hears it and it blends with normal societal sounds. But that is something we have to figure out; how can we make your heartbeat not stand out among the others?”

            It was a strange and terrifying concept to consider. Was there even a way to disguise my heartbeat to all of the vampires? And if we could find a way, would it work?

            “Perhaps we should think on this,” I suggested, “we have two weeks-"

            “Then, you will go with me!” he exclaimed, tossing the book aside and grabbing both my hands in his.

            I thought for a moment; was I really confirming going with him? Well, after all, I have never been to a ball with a male companion before, and this was no ordinary ball! It was a masquerade; everyone dressed up in fancy clothes and masks, dancing and laughing! Even if it was a group of vampires I would be surrounded by, I would be with Thomas, and at this point, I knew he would keep me safe regardless of the situation. Although, this was technically his kind and he did associate with some; therefore, I would have to keep my own wits about me if I were to enjoy myself and leave the ball with my neck intact!

            “Yes,” I said, smiling up at him, “I will go with you. I would love to! But we must find a way to disguise my heartbeat! It would be the only way.”

            He laughed and picked me up into a spin once more. “Oh, my love, I knew you would say yes! And yes, we shall. I will research extensively, talk to people-I believe that friend of mine is still working in the music hall as a magician, perhaps he would know something-but anyway, I will do all I can! You can guarantee that!”

            I giggled, knowing he was being so kind and generous. I would find some way as well, but I think he had the better access to information. As we let go, I told him I had to leave, if I were to get home in time for tea with my mother; he more than willingly obliged to let me go. As I gathered my books, I turned back to find him right behind me. As we stared into each other’s eyes, it was as if I could melt into those shining and lovely blue pools, and as he laid his lips on mine, they were soft and almost warm, like a true human’s.

            As I made my way to the stairs, a question arose in my mind that I hope he could answer. “Thomas…does your heart beat?”

            He took my hand in his, and brought my head down to his chest. Faintly, I could hear a slow beating meet my eardrum. It was not like a normal heart beat; this one was almost hypnotic.

            “While my heart does beat,” he whispered as he caressed my head, “it is much slower than a normal human’s. It beats as if it is on the verge of death; just another trait of being a half vampire/half human, I suppose. But, at least my heart beats, and that way I can feel more alive than dead, don’t you think?”

             I nodded. To be honest, I did not care if this man had a heartbeat or not. He was still my lover, and that was all that mattered. We finally let go, and said our good-byes. I allowed myself out of the door, and began the walk home, all the while thinking of how we were going to disguise my beating heart. And then, as if a flash of lightening hit me, I realized something. Thomas had a heartbeat! It was a slow heartbeat, but it was still a heartbeat, and none of the vampires attacked him at all because they knew of his situation. What if the same could be said for me? I quickly ran back to his home to tell him my idea; to be honest, I hope it would be the final solution.


	13. Masqued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Long time no read, huh? I have been so busy getting back to school, and keeping up with my class work, but I finally decided to take a break and finish this darn chapter! I do hope you like it, and I am working on the next one as we speak! Do enjoy <3

 

                  Upon returning to Thomas’ home, I immediately set him off on my idea as how we could make a legitimate way to disguise myself as a human. I asked him if there were vampires living in America, to which he said, from what he knew; vampires existed all over the world even in the United States. It was then that I suggested, since he was a half vampire and they were going to accept him, even with his beating heart, why not me?

              “Are you suggesting that I say to those vampires that you are also a halfling?” he asked me, a look of concern crossing his face.

             “Absolutely!” I said, “If you are half of a vampire, why not I? All we half to do is figure out a way to slow my heartbeat as much as yours.”

                “Darling…as easy as it sounds, it is very risky! Slowing ones heartbeat is a somewhat complicated process. I know that it is possible for it to be done; however, if you don’t do it right…there is a risk of illness, even death at the hands of the person who does it!”

              He was right; if anyone had the audacity to toy with their body whether on the outside or the inside, they certainly ran the risk of facing death at a moment’s notice.

               “Then it is a risk I am willing to take…” I said confidently, “I am not afraid, and you should not be either. Please, you have to trust me…”

                  He looked at me with through astonishment, and as a matter of fact, I was astonished in myself! The old me would have never had stood up and wanted to find a way to test the boundaries between reality and the supernatural. But I could feel it within me, a warm glow of confidence and drive; I felt like I could take on any task I wanted to! And this would be my first, for my love…

               Finally, he agreed. He promised me that before we would go to the ball, he would find a way to make my heartbeat slow. “Talk to your magician friend,” I suggested as I made my way for the door, “Perhaps he would know a thing or two…”

…………………………………………………………………………………………

                A week or so later, as my parents and I sat in the parlor after supper, there came an urgent ring from the front door. As I heard the clicking of James’ shoes upon the marble floor, I could not help but feel I knew who the man was. Then, he entered the room.

                 “Who is at the door at this hour?” my father inquired, looking up from the evening paper.

                “The Mister Thomas Blaxton, sir. He requires an audience with Miss Victoria.” James said with his dignified voice.

                 I shot up from my seat, about to go into the Foyer, when Father caught my attention. He held up his hand as if to say _hold on a moment_. “Do send him in,” my father said. James bowed and went to get him. My mother could see I was practically itching out of my slippers to see him, even though he brought me places at the end of every week.

                 “The Mister Thomas Blaxton,” James said as Thomas entered the room, wearing a beautiful coat and holding a hat in his black, leather gloved hands. I held myself steady, trying to hold in the fact that I wanted to jump upon him and kiss his lovely face. But a lady would certainly not do that!

                “Thomas, it is good to see you,” my father said, rising from his chair and offering a hand shake.

                 “Likewise,” he said warmly, shaking my father’s hand firmly, “How are things at the company?”

                  “As diligent as ever…However, I do not think that you are here to talk about the family business…”

                  Thomas looked towards me and smiled. “If I may, I would like to speak with Victoria for a moment. It won’t be long…”

                  “Take as much time as you need, Thomas darling,” my mother crooned, and she motioned for me to go over to him. I walked lightly, and not as nearly as quickly as I wanted to. I did not want to look too longing in front of my parents!

                   When I was in reach, Thomas took my hand and excused us from the parlor. He led me from the door and asked where we could go where we would have some privacy. I suggested the upstairs library; it was small and private, and we would not be disturbed. I led the way up the stairs with Thomas following behind. As usual, he wore his traditional black, but today he wore a deep blue ascot about his throat which was held together with a silver skull pin. From behind, he was like a dark archangel, guiding me safely on my way.

                 Finally reaching the library, I showed him in and closed the door behind us.

                “You must be here for an important reason,” I asked, knowing and yet not knowing his answer.

                Thomas smirked as his gloved hand went to his coat pocket. He retrieved and held up three dark-colored glass viles, two large and one small. Each one was tightly corked, and contained a dark liquid swishing around inside. They confused me at first, for he did not say what they were; all he did was smile.

                “What are these?”

                 He smirked, his eyes twinkling with information that only he knew. “These are for you…they are the solution for your human heart.”

                  My eyes opened wide. Had he truly figured out a way to make my heart slow? I approached him slowly, gazing at the viles intently.

                 “What is it?” I asked tentatively, “You did not make these, did you?”

                 He shook his head. “I went to my friend at the music hall and inquired into the art of slowing a heartbeat. As soon as I mentioned that, he told me he had just the thing. He opened one of his tonic books, and found this specific recipe. Now he would not tell me what was in it, but he did say that he used this in his ‘Living Corpse’ trick. He drank these and made his heart slow to almost death like quality. It was still beating, but so softly that it was undetectable.”

                “There should not be any problems with me drinking these?” I asked.

                “No, at least, _he_ said there shouldn’t be…all you have to do is drink the two larger viles first; one the evening before the party, and one the evening of it. The smaller one is for you to keep with you in case you feel the need to refresh yourself.”

               He handed the viles to me carefully into my delicate hands. Their cool touch sent a bit of a shock wave through my hands. I could not help but wonder what these little potions would actually do to slow my heart.

                “Are you sure this is safe?” I asked, a hint of worry in my voice.

                “My friend says this liquid is completely natural, and won’t harm you in any way. Honestly, would you think I would give this to you if I had any doubt it would not be safe?” His brow scrunched in with an air of concern.

               I shook my head; I knew seeing me harmed was the last thing he needed to see. As he leaned into kiss my cheek, I knew that this would not be so bad. He would be with me at the party, and in case anything did go wrong, he would find a way to make it right. He would…I just knew it…

             As he let go, he said he had to leave. I tried to ask if he could stay a moment longer, but he said he had some business to attend to at home that could not be put off. I nodded, and brought him downstairs, carefully placing the viles into one of my dress pockets. We kissed good night, and, before leaving, Thomas said he would come for me the night of the ball at eight-thirty. When I closed the door, I went back to the parlor, where my parents were still relaxing.

            “What did Thomas need, Victoria?” my father inquired, not looking up from the paper.

              Caught off guard, I said quietly “He merely wished to know when to come and get me for the ball.”

                “Hmm, you would think the man would have his staff call and inquire a question like that?”

               “He would rather do things himself, Father. That’s just who he is…May I be excused; it is getting late and I am very tired.”

               Mother raised an eyebrow and looked at the clock. It only read a quarter to eight, but she did not question me. “You may go,” she said, “and get plenty of rest. We have your fitting tomorrow for you outfit for the ball.”

              “Yes, Mother,” said with a smile, “Thank you.”

             I curtsied lightly, and walked out of the room. Walking up the stairs, I reached in my pocket and squeezed all three viles. If this was my ticket to tricking the vampires who would be attending the ball, then so be it.

………………………………………………………………………………………..

            I sat in front of my vanity as Lillian put my hair into a beautiful style, with light curls falling around my head. It was the night of the ball, and I could hardly wait! As I sat watching Lillian fix me up, I could not help but notice I looked just slightly different than normal. Upon taking the first vile the night before, I found myself quite nervous. I worried as I uncorked the bottle that I would end up like the lead heroine of Romeo and Juliet, who also had to drink a potion that would slow her heart, to trick her family into thinking she was dead! I smelled the liquid-it was bitter and strong in scent, and the taste was almost sinful to describe! But I drank it all down. Upon waking the next morning, I felt not only relieved to be alive, but also reborn. I felt as if every step I took, I was walking in the air. My senses seemed to be heightened slightly and I felt as if my blood flowed like a constant stream. My skin looked more porcelain like than normal; I could have sworn I looked more like a china doll than a human. It was all so strange, and yet so exciting!

             When Lillian finished my hair, she then helped me into my beautiful gown. It was a gown made with the finest silk my family could afford, all white with light pink lace and bows caressing every detail the gown could possibly have. My opera gloves and lovely shoes were of light pink silk as well, detailed with tiny pearls along the edge.

             “Oh miss,” Lillian sighed as she fixed my bustle in the back, “You look like a princess!”

             “Thank you, Lilli!” I said, “Could you hand me my mask? It is in the little box on top of the dresser.”

              She nodded, and went to retrieve it. The mask was sent all the way from Venice, Italy by, whom else, my adoring Thomas. A few days after giving me the viles, he had sent a package along with a note saying “ _Please wear this the night of the ball. Wear whatever you may wish, but please wear this for me. -T_ ” Lillian handed me the box, and I excused her from her duties. When the door closed, I opened the box gently. Inside was a half mask, the colors white and pink swirled in elegant detail, with white lace along the edge and a pink ribbon attached so that it would secure strongly. I carefully lifted the mask out of the box and towards my face. As I tied it securely, I looked up into the glass. With it on, I became someone new; someone with a drive that could not be matched. I was exotic, beautiful, a goddess. How I loved this new feeling!

             Suddenly, a knock came at the door. “Come in,” I called out.

             “It’s just me, Miss,” I heard James’ voice come through the door, “I just wanted to tell you that Thomas’ carriage has just pulled up.”

             “Thank you, James. I shall be down momentarily!” I called out. As soon as I heard the click of his heels walk away, I quickly went to my drawer and pulled out the second large vile. Uncorking it, I grasped it tightly in my gloved hands, and saying a small prayer of luck for it to work, drank it down in one fell swoop! Once it was gone, I hid the bottle back in the drawer so it would not be found. I grabbed my reticule from the bed, checked to find the small vile waiting, and, taking one final look at my disguised self, made my way to the Foyer.

               When I turned the corner on the staircase, I saw no one waiting for me at the bottom, except for Lillian holding my summer cloak.

               “Did he not wish to come in?” I asked her, as she helped me put on the cloak.

               “He told me he wanted to wait in the carriage, Miss,” Lillian confessed.

               “Is he well, did he look all right?”

              “Yes, Miss. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.”

               I nodded, and thanked her, telling her as I walked to the door not to wait for me since I would be back very late.

               I stepped out into the night, finding Thomas’ black carriage waiting for me. It was so omniscient for not only its dark design, but also for the fact that all the shades were completely drawn shut. The carriage driver stood erect next to the door; even all in black, he still had a kind face and gentle demeanor!

               “Good evening, Miss,” he said as he opened the door, “You look very lovely this evening.”

                I thanked him sweetly, and grasping his hand, I helped myself into the dark carriage. As soon as the door was shut, I found myself enveloped in total darkness. I had no idea if I was alone, or if Thomas was right beside me in the seat. Suddenly, a light blazed on, and I put my gloved hands over my eyes to shield the light away from me. I could smell the light scent of a gas lamp starting to burn down, and the carriage began to move along the cobblestones.

              “Did I scare you?” a familiar voice asked.

              I giggled. “Well, maybe a bit, but I should be used to your surprises by now.”

              I heard that oh so recognizable chuckle from across the carriage. “Let me see you,” the voice said again.

              I lowered my hands from my eyes, adjusted the mask a bit, and looked up. I instantly smiled at the moment when my eyes met with Thomas’, and I could finally see what he was wearing! His outfit was of regal attire, something a gentleman would have worn during the reign of Marie Antoinette; it was all black with an elegant silver and pearl white detailing along the cuffs and peplums. A black cloak hung lightly around his shoulders, held together with a silver chain with ruby fasteners on the ends. He wore lace about neck and wrists, black silken gloves, and the shiniest pair of black shoes finished off with silver buckles. His hair was once again slicked back, and around his eyes, he wore a black mask with a black bead detail around the eyes and along the edge. I had to catch my breath for the whole look made me thoroughly excited in so many ways!

              A small smile crept across his lips. “Darling, you look like an angel…” he whispered as he kissed my hand.

             “Thank you; I would say the same for you, but I think your outfit certainly outshines mine,” I said in a teasing way.

             “Never,” he said, grasping my hand tightly, and pulling me to his side of the carriage. He held me tightly in his arms, as he brought me into a gentle kiss. He tasted warm and ever so bittersweet against my lips-I could stay that way forever!

               He pulled away and looked into my eyes, and ever so gently, he laid a hand upon my heart.

              "Mhmm,” he hummed in approval, “A steady and slow beat…it seems even slower than mine…”

               I gasped. “Truly,” I whispered, “It is really working?” I laid my hand close to his. Sure enough, the beating was not normal, but much slower. One beat would go, and upon waiting a matter of five seconds, the next beat came. It was all so strange, and yet, so fascinating! Now more than ever, I felt like I was a vampire…well, half vampire in the least!

               I looked back up at Thomas, who now averted his gaze out the carriage window. Even though his eyes were hidden beneath his mask, his face was tense. His lips were curled into a look of contempt and disgust, as if he was trying to contemplate so strange or maddening secret.

             “What’s wrong?” I asked, sitting up again. When he did not say anything, I took my hands into his left one, and gave a short squeeze. “Please…tell me…”

              He sighed, and looked to me. “I have been putting this off for as long as I could, but I must tell you now…tonight, we are about to go into the lion’s den. Vampires are not like humans, Victoria. They are more _exotic_ , more _cunning_ , and certainly more… _ambitious_ when it comes to hidden desires. When they are with their own kind, clustered together in one place…it is like nothing anyone has ever seen in a ball atmosphere. Drink, especially blood, will flow like water, and the scent of sweet intoxicating lust will fill the air!

              “I only bring this up not for your own good, but for ours! Please, just mind yourself tonight. I know you will, but I just want you to be safe! We are stepping into dangerous territory considering we are disguising you like this; we cannot fail!”

               I blinked, trying to keep myself composed. He was thorough in his explanation, but I could swear he was still holding something back…

              “Is that all, Thomas?” I questioned, and commanded to give me an answer right on the spot!

               He gripped my hand tighter. “There is one final detail that you must know. Not only will every vampire in London society be there tonight, but _all_ of the High Council members of the Order…including the leader of that “fine” society…His name is Alexander Langlais, and from what I have heard, he is one of two personalities. He can be a sleek and charming towards ladies such as yourself, think of a fairy tale prince little girls read about before they go to sleep. Or, if you cross him and obtain the look of his bad side, he is a devious, murdering machine, and will kill at will, all while obtaining a signature air of elegance.

               “As far as I know, he has only killed himself on two occasions; his other killings are done by assailants hired by the society. Anyway, I have no idea what he looks like, nor do I know what he will be wearing. Honestly, from what I have heard, he likes to wear multiple disguises at masquerade parties for the Order. Regardless, please watch yourself tonight! If you find yourself alone, just stay in a corner-“

               “Alone?” I interrupted, “Why would you leave me alone?”

                He sighed, and shook his head. “Some of my clients are going to be there, and they wish to discuss some matters with me. I know, it’s ridiculous, but they told me that it would be quick and effortless. Also, there will be someone there tonight whom I have asked to act as your confidant when I am not with you this evening.”

               “Who…?”

                “Her name is Arabella, another client of mine, and she has agreed to stay with you while I have to attend my duties. Unfortunately, she will be arriving to the ball late, so if she is not there when I have to leave, will you do your best to stay out of trouble?”

                 I rolled my eyes behind my mask. “Now, really, do you honestly think I am a child? Do you honestly think that?”

                He gripped my chin and turned my face up to his. “No, I don’t; I am simply reminding you. Because I love you, and I don’t wish to see harm done to you…is that too much to ask, my lady?”

                My lips curled into a little smile, weakly, but it managed to curl into one. Without speaking, I gently leaned in and kissed his lips, to show that I not only understood, but to tell him that nothing was going to ruin this night, even if the cards were against us.

                Suddenly, the carriage came to a complete halt, and within a matter of seconds, the door swung open. We were greeted by a tall, slim figured woman dressed entirely in black with a black lace mask about her eyes. To be very honest, she was the complete deadly beauty of a vampire…

               “Invitation?” she asked in a low whisper, holding out her black gloved hand.

               Thomas reached into one of his coat pockets, and pulled out the invitation. As the woman examined the document, I could not help but take in how incredibly beautiful she was. Her massive waves of auburn hair were spun up in a silver net, and her alabaster skin glowed against the moonlight; she was a picture of breathtaking beauty.

               “You may enter,” she said, handing Thomas back the invitation, “Welcome to the Ball, Master Blaxton…”

               Thomas took my hand, and helped me from the carriage. Once out, I brought my gaze towards the building that was in front of us. It was a very tall and very elegant structure; the turrets were pointed spirals all along the house that seemed to rise towards the sky. It did not look like a manor or home of any sort, but a dark and looming castle that was truly out of place in this beautiful city. Thomas pulled me a bit as we climbed the black marble staircase leading to the front door. Before he could even knock, the door swung open and we were greeted by another woman who looked like the one from outside, only her hair was very blonde and twisted into a braid. She took our cloaks, and told us to go straight down the hall towards the ballroom.

                 We thanked her, and made our way slowly down. Looking around, it seemed as if the violet wallpaper had eyes that seemed to stare at us, as if we did not belong! Candles lit the way, but still seemed to make everything frightening and eerie, especially since it cast a terrifying light upon the portraits that hung in the hall. Past Order members, each with a grin of terror or a look of death about their eyes. I tried not to look at them, for fear my heart would give sudden race!

                Finally, we reached the door. From outside, we could hear the strains of melodious and enthralling music coming from inside. Thomas grasped the handle and looking to me he said, “Are you ready?”

                After a moment, I nodded confidently. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door. We walked onto a great balcony that was a connector to two grand staircases leading down onto the dance floor. Inside this wondrous room hung black and blood red drapes along the walls and bunted the balconies surrounding the space. Great crystal chandeliers, each holding over 100 candles, burned above the space and gave the room an ethereal and haunting glow. Below, on the dance floor, there were a great amount of couples dancing an elaborate, but grand waltz as a great orchestra played above on the opposite balcony. Everyone was dressed in their finest, wildest, and most beautiful attire, all masked with great care and diligence. There was music, laughter, joyous screams, and gossiping floating through the air…and it was all beauty!

               “Have you never been to a ball like this?” Thomas whispered in my ear.

               I shook my head. “I feel like I am in…a dream…A beautiful, glorious dream; one that I can’t wake up from!”

               He chuckled. “You sound like a poet…Come, shall we join the fun?”

               I nodded eagerly as he led us down the staircase. Walking down, I kept my eyes almost level to the ground, but out of the corner of my eye, I could tell some of the guests were looking at us. Ladies held up their fans to their lips, gentlemen made it look like they were drinking from goblets, but I knew all too well that they were whispering about us; I could not care in the least!

             Finally, we reached the dance floor, and Thomas twirled me lightly before making his bow. I curtsied, and slowly we linked together, hand in hand and arms entwined in love. And we began to dance. We swirled among the dancers, caught in a never ending cascade of color, laughter and enchantment. As I looked away every chance I could from Thomas’ hooded eyes, I could not help but feel one with these dark and wondrous creatures of the night. They were so lively, vibrant, exotic, and beautiful; I had never felt more alive in this moment. I felt that I was one with them, regardless of my true nature; I was one of them if only for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you loved this chapter; there is plenty of drama coming up in the next one! Please leave kudos and/or a comment <3


	14. A Dance with Dark Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the latest chapter in this beautiful saga, and things are about to get very interesting...enjoy!

 

              Suddenly, the music stopped, and the some of the vampires clapped in approval of the piece. As the second waltz began, Thomas brought me away from the dance floor.

             “Do you require anything?” he asked turning to me.

              And, honestly not realizing what had come over me, I brought him into a passionate kiss that more than certainly caught him off guard. When my lips let go, he stared at me with doe like eyes, blinking them in complete shock. His bottom lip hung open a tiny bit, trying to find the right words to say.

           I smiled shyly. “Forgive me,” I whispered, “was that…too much?”

           Then, Thomas let out a cross between a sigh and a laugh. “You are certainly remarkable,” he whispered, taking my chin in his leather clad grip, “Innocent and light one moment, and dark and enchanting the next…there must be motives behind your madness, no?”

          I smirked. “My…you would _love_ to find out, wouldn’t you?” I whispered seductively.

          As he leaned in to kiss me again, we heard a voice cry out from above the music “Blaxton!”

          Thomas turned on a dime and looked up gripping my forearms in determined protection, but soon softened the grip when the body from whence the voice came approached us. The booming voice belonged to a tall man almost as tall as Thomas, and almost stout like the width of a pine tree. His face gave the air that he was in his early sixties, with creases along his eyes and chin, his hair coiffed back like a silver cloud. He was dressed in a midnight blue tail suit with a black cloak draped across one shoulder, and a three cornered hat with many black, pluming feathers draping from it. His mask, which he held in his hand was that of a great bird with a long black beak. To be quite honest, he did not look like a vampire at all, but the thin glass of blood he held in his other large hand told me otherwise.

         “Blaxton,” the man said again, “so good to finally see you out and about with the elite!” He heartily patted Thomas on the back, almost causing him to fall over onto his face.

          “It is a very good pleasure to see you as well, Jon,” he said, as he took my hand into his leading me over to the very amusing man. “May I introduce to you my darling, Victoria Branford, of the Bostonian Branfords, if you will? Victoria, may I introduce you to one of my very good friends as well as my clients, Jonathan Overly.”

          The man’s eyes lit up, and he took my small hand into his. Bowing slightly over it, he said in a hushed tone, “It is a pleasure to finally meet you at last, Miss Branford.” He kissed my gloved hand gently and rose above us once more. “Thomas has told me so much about you, my dear, and from the looks of things, the stories absolutely do not match the real and most beautiful thing.”

          I nodded and thanked him, but my voice shook just a bit as I wondered what he meant by Thomas’ stories. Thomas could see I was nervous, and gratefully took my hand into his.

          “I merely told him that in you, I have found a meaning to life. One that is not entirely filled with business and parties-“

          “Parties that you never attend, Blaxton,” Mr. Overly corrected, “but I can see that has all changed now, especially with a young miss around your arm.”

           “Well, Mr. Overly, if I may, I am glad that I could have Thomas go into public and have a bit of fun, even if that means dragging him out by his coat tails,” I said with a teasing smile.

           Thomas raised his brow at me while Mr. Overly laughed heartily at my delightful quip. “The girl has a sense of humor as well! You have certainly found your match, Thomas!”

           Thomas turned back to Mr. Overly cautiously. “Now that we are acquainted, may I ask if there is something I should know?”

         His friend was about to say something until he stopped and glanced at me. He turned to Thomas with a look in his eyes that said concern. “She already knows, Jon…it’s fine.”

           He nodded. “We are meeting in one of the secret common rooms…I’m not sure which one, but Larence told me he would bring us there as soon as we could be available. I imagine everyone is there now…”

         This must have been the secret meeting Thomas told me about; from the tone of their voices, it seemed very serious. But one thing that got me was the matter of how risky all of this was! To be holding a meeting with others who may have something against this order in their own headquarters seemed all so insane. What if they were caught? What would happen if…no! No, I would not think that in the slightest!

        “Darling…”

         I looked back to see Thomas above me. “I’m sorry…But my duty calls. I wish I wasn't leaving you-"

         “Thomas,” I interrupted, “you must do as you see fit. I will be fine; I can care for myself. I won’t do anything that will draw attention to myself. In fact, I will be probably be sitting against the wall, waiting your return.”

          He smiled, sadly. “Do not go and merely do that…please do have fun. But be safe about it.”

        He leaned in to me and I reached up, our lips touching softly. I wasn't sure how long it would be until we kissed again, so I savored every moment I could.

          “Blaxton, we must go,” Mr. Overly said, as we let go.

          “I will be back soon,” Thomas said, kissing my gloved hand, “I love you, darling girl.”

          And with that, he was off, his cloak trailing behind majestically.

           Here I was now; alone and vulnerable. In one moment, I felt like I could do anything in this room filled with vampires. Suddenly, I began to feel strange, almost dizzy yet very eager. I pressed a hand towards my heart, and I could feel it slowly gain speed and return to normality! I tried not to panic, hoping nobody would notice, but now, the fear began to slowly sink in. I looked around me, trying to find some secluded area, hoping I would get there in time to take a drink from the bottle hiding in my reticule. As the dancers swirled around me, I dodged them to the best of my ability, but my clumsiness seemed to get the best of me at some points! Finally, I saw a curtained alcove opposite my standing point on the floor. I walked hurriedly to it and prayed it was not a secluded corner for lovers to neck within.

            Tentatively, I drew back the blood colored velvet curtain to find a little gardened area with lovely wrought iron seating. It was dark, even though the glass skylight opened to the shimmering stars above. Great, tall ferns and flower bushes were held in large vases painted black and scarlet. Walking towards the back of the room, I took a seat on a little bench. I carefully pried open the clasp and reached in to grasp the small vile. I carefully uncorked it and looking around just to be sure no one was around, I took about four quick sips and corked it once more. After a moment, I tested my pulse…it seemed normal, well normal for that moment. But just to be sure, I decided to rest and catch my breath from the little moment of excitement.

             Slowly, I leaned back and rested the back of my head upon the smooth iron. Even though it was hard beneath my delicate flesh, it felt comforting after that long and elegant dance as well as the hardening excitement from moments ago. I began to relax comfortably, my breast rising and falling with every slow breath I took…all was quiet and peaceful…

             “My, how lovely you look…”

             I gasped and sat upright immediately, knowing fully that I was no longer alone! I looked around timidly, but I could see no one. Perhaps I imagined the voice, perhaps it was my own self conscious that frightened me to no end? The voice sounded so real, so sharp, so close…

           “Hello,” I whispered tentatively, “Is there someone here?”

           I rose from my place slowly, and turned carefully in all directions. My blood began to run cold. What if there was someone? If there was, where could they be hiding?

           Suddenly, there came a light chuckling from within the darkness. “Be not afraid, little lamb…You have nothing to fear from me.”

            I could have sworn that my heart indeed stop for a moment. This voice was so enchanting, so dark and deep and yet so warm and inviting. I felt as if this voice came from within the deepest and darkest dreams of any woman in London, the shadows that were within the corners of the subconscious mind.

             I licked my lips and took a breath. “Please…I am not afraid, but if I may, wherever you are…could I perchance see who I am speaking with?”

             “Hmmm…you are an interesting little thing. So confident and calm in the face of potential danger…Perhaps I should indulge your wish.”

              Suddenly the sound of clicking heels hit the floor from behind me. I turned and coming from within the dark shadows stepped a tall and elegant figure. When he was finally in the moonlight that flooded in from above, I had to hold back a gasp that was building within my lungs; my god, this man was incredibly beautiful! From a foot away, he looked as if he was a dark and brooding angel! He was very tall, almost as tall as Thomas; his skin was alabaster white with pale pink lips. He had dark brown hair that was slicked back and tied up lowly behind his head. His face was almost long, and his cheekbones were so prominent that they looked as if anyone who touched them would slice their fingers in an instant! His costume was of blackened violet with gold leafing detail, and a black cape hung about one shoulder; his mask was of black silk with black lace covering the eyeholes. I was enthralled and secretly terrified all at the same time, but my face simply told him I was enchanted by his darkened beauty!

             “Is something the matter, little one?” his voice flowed along the air.

            For a moment, I forgot how to speak! Whoever this man was, he was entirely hypnotizing. And it was all beauty! Finally, I shook my head from its daze and began to speak.

             “No…” I whispered softly, “Nothing…at all…But, if I might say so, you are like nothing I have ever seen. I mean in the sense of your costume…yes, your _costume_!”

             He chuckled darkly, and moved slowly towards me. “I take that as a wonderful comment, my little one; however, I think that you are even more beautiful than all those common women out there.”

             I smiled, and felt a small blush crawl onto my cheek. “I doubt that; those are all noble women out there!”

             “And you think you are not noble, little one?”

             I stopped myself before I could answer. How could I dare disregard this man’s comments? He was so true and honest with me, and I hardly knew him…and for a moment, I neglected to remember anyone else in the world…

          Suddenly, he took my gloved hand into his and placed it to his lips. When he finished, he looked back into my now doe-like eyes. “What is your name, little lamb?”

          Before I could say another word, I had enough sense to stop myself from confessing my name like a complete idiot!

          “Dear, sir,” I said elegantly while slowly removing my hand from his grasp, “On a night like this, why would a young woman, such as myself, give away her identity to an unknown man at a masked ball? Surely, you would not think me… _naïve_?”

           He smirked. “You are very wise, my little lamb…very wise indeed. Perhaps you are right; names should be anonymous this evening. Then, instead of your name, would you allow a waltz with me?”

            And before I could say what I wished, a soft but firm hand grasped my own, and I was being led back to the dance floor in the arm of this beautiful, dark stranger. Without knowing it, I felt as if my mind had been pulled from my body, and my heart was about to explode from the over indulgence of warmth emanating all around! He placed one hand on my shoulder and the other on my soft waist, and led me into the thrall of dancers. This waltz was not like the first that I danced to upon entering the ball; this one was much darker and lustful in sound and movement. The orchestra played a dark and sensual rhythm, the violins and cellos taking command of the dancers’ strange and enthralling movements. A beautiful operatic voice rose high above the crowd as she sang with the music. As I danced in time to the strange orchestrations, I felt one with the music and with the dark stranger, as our hands and arms entwined with the song.

         “You have such lovely movements, little one,” the masked man whispered, “Usually some women I know can barely keep up with this piece, even if they have danced it one hundred times…”

         “Thank you,” I said calmly, “I have always loved to dance; I guess it just runs in my…”

            I stopped; I could not very well mention blood or veins! That would give me away instantly! Thomas was right…keeping my secret was going to be harder than I thought!

           “I’m sorry,” the man purred above me, “were you saying something?”

            I shook my head. “No…just that…I love to dance very much! And you are certainly a good partner.”

            He chuckled softly, almost expecting that I would say something like that. As we swirled further into the dance, I could not help but vaguely notice his eyes hidden behind the mask’s eyeholes. Although the dark silk covered them, I could see a faint glistening from within. It was as if he had bits of gold planted into his irises. And it made him all the more beautiful.

           “Tell me,” he asked, did you come alone this evening?”

           I hesitated. Did I really want him to know that I came with a man (excuse me, a half man, half vampire) who was more than willing to hold a secret meeting within the walls of this secret society for God knows what exact reasons! So, for his sake, I lied.

            “No…no, of course not,” I said as calmly as possible, “I have come alone…”

           This seemed to intrigue the man, as a shy and almost devious smirk spread across his face.

           “Were you expecting for this to happen?” he asked, as if I knew the answer to his question.

           “What do you mean?” Suddenly, I looked at my surroundings and found the two of us brought into a secluded corner, underneath the staircase. We were encompassed within the shadows, and I found myself pressed against the wall with the man standing before me. In all sense of reality, I was trapped, but I did not realize it at the moment; I was under this vampire’s spell…

            “What I mean, little lamb,” he whispered intimately, “is that you and I could have our pick of anyone at this fine gathering of our kind…and yet, here we both are. In one another’s company…how _charming_ …”

         He smiled at me, and from within, I could see the fangs becoming more prominent. I gasped just a bit, my mind pulling itself slowly into realization of what the situation could turn into if I was discovered!” I had to get away, but as soon as I made to leave, he swung his long cape in front of me. Now, it was hiding us both within the corner and shadows.

         “Oh, please don’t go, little one,” he pleaded innocently, “I have yet to make a further acquaintance with you…”

           I caught my breath before it could show how nervous I was starting to become. Suddenly, he began to reach out for my neck, and fearing he would feel my pulse even if it was faint (I believed he thought I was truly a vampire like he), I grabbed his wrist and began to place kisses along his hand. As I did this, I could feel his body tense and freeze. Looking up, I could see his mouth half open as if in shock, as if no other woman had done this to him. Following instinct, I placed his hand to my cheek. He was cold and like ice, just like my beloved Thomas. Then, as soon as I heard a stifled sigh, the man’s hand left my cheek and grazed ever so slowly down my jaw and towards the nape of my neck. His fingertips cold and enthralling against my own cool skin was like something I had never felt before, not even with Thomas!

          Soon, he leaned further into me and his lips were now grazing my forehead; I could feel his breath against me, oddly warm and I could sense a strange scent upon it. Iron? Rust? No… _fresh blood_. I whimpered slightly when I realized the scent, and upon seeing this, he held firmly onto my shoulders to steady me. Looking up with heavy lids, he stared down at me, the gold within his eyes glistened like a thousand suns, and I suddenly felt the world around me fall away…

        “So beautiful,” he whispered, “and so helpless…”

          He leaned in, and was about to graze his teeth along my neck when…

          “There you are!”

          He pulled away from me as fast as he could, and I was shaken into reality once more. I looked up and before me was now a woman. She was just an inch or two taller than me with flaming red hair and dazzling red lips to match. She wore a black and white gown with a beaded mask.

         “I have been looking for you all evening,” she continued, “Where have you been? Well it doesn’t matter, come with me!”

           She began to pull me away, and nodding to the mystery man, she led me from him. I looked back and found him still staring at me, a predatory glisten in his eyes and stance to scare anyone who crossed him.

          “Don’t look back at him!”

          I turned back. The woman was looking at me with a feared expression. “Just don’t look back, whatever you do.”

          I tried to shake myself from her grasp, but she held on tight. “Who are you?” I demanded, “Where are you taking me?”

          “Somewhere safe,” she said, “Ah, here we are.”

          She led me into a room covered in gold and red wallpaper and surrounded with glass mirrors, and as we rounded the corner, there were marble sinks along one wall while more mirrors hung above them. I realized she brought me into a ladies’ room, but why?

          “Well, all I have to say was that was a close one,” she said, rummaging through her purse, “If I did not get to you-“

          "Who are you?” I demanded.

           She looked up and smiled. “I’m sorry I did not introduce myself!”

           She reached behind her head and removed her mask. I could now see her full face and eyes. She had a porcelain like complexion, and sliver gray eyes that sparkled in the warm light of the room. Her face was thin with a skinny nose to match. She wore very elaborate make up, with smoking eyes and plenty of rouge for two or three women to share. “I’m Arabella Dearling, Thomas’ friend and client,” she said at last, “Cigarette?”

             I looked down to her hand as she held a homemade cigarette to me. I shook my head, and she brought it back for herself. As she lit it, she continued. “You know, I’m American too. New York City. But then I ended up moving to London for-“

             “Why did you do that?”

             “Do what?” As if she did not know!

             “Why did you take me away? From that man?”

              She looked at me now with sadness to her eyes, ones that expressed fear and anxiety. “Thomas told me to look after you this evening, yes?”

               I nodded. “And he told you to be careful and watch out for certain…vampires, yes?”

              Again, I nodded. “He told you about Alexander Langlais, right?”

              “Yes! What are you trying to…” And then I realized.

               She nodded her head. “Darling, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you just had your first encounter with our leader…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you guess who Alexander is inspired by ;) Hope you have loved it so far! Please feel free to leave comments and kudos <3


	15. Faithfulness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this new update took so long!!! I was studying abroad for school, and I had writer's block, go figure! Anyway, here it is! I hope you enjoy the latest chapter!

            Her words remained in my ears like a low buzzing sound, and I stood frozen in the ladies toilet in disbelief. How in God’s name could I have found myself in the grasp of that man…the one Thomas told me to watch out for? In my mind, I imagined him to be this disgusting evil monster with multiple fangs in his mouth ready to strike and devour his next victim. But he was nothing like that! He was charming, haunting, and dare I say it, but beautifully handsome even if I couldn’t see half of his face hidden by the mask!

            I tried to find my voice and come back to reality. “You mean…You mean to tell me I was…dancing with Alexander?

            She nodded. “I’m sorry dear! I would have been here sooner and made sure to keep you company, but my coach driver was lost-“

            “Don’t call me dear!” I said, cutting her off, “How can I even trust you? How can I even be safe here knowing what just happened…HAPPENED!?”

            “Now, now, I know this looks bad,” Arabella said hesitantly, putting out her cigarette in the sink, “But you must calm down and believe me! I really am Arabella, and I am sorry I wasn’t here on time! Please dear, just calm down”

            I breathed heavily, and looked into her eyes. They were so dark and sparkling, but they were also filled with a kind of pity and understanding. I bit my lip and felt that she was being sympathetic, with me.

            “Now dear, I want to talk to you calmly about this, but I have to ask. Can you please remove your mask? I removed mine; I want us to be equals…please?”

            I was scared to at first, but she asked almost innocently. I nodded and carefully removed the ribbon from its ties. I lowered the mask from my face and, looking up, I could see Arabella smiling wide.

            “You look so beautiful,” she said, her teeth flashing, “I can see why Thomas likes you.”

            I stopped for a moment. “What does that mean?” I asked protectively.

            “Well…you’re just his type. A dark beauty, with a body like the Renaissance female paintings…and your eyes…I know you’re not like us but…your eyes would say otherwise…” she said, “I do hope we can get to be very good friends…Victoria, yes?”

            I nodded; she sighed, “ _Victoria_ …if I may, I think it would be better if we talked elsewhere about what happened, but for now, maybe we should find Thomas?”

            Something in my gut told me I needed to be careful, frankly, Arabella could either become one of my best friends, or kill me and serve me to Alexander Langlais in one fell swoop! With a newfound coldness, I nodded. She smiled and closed her reticule and took up her mask. Opening the door, she motioned for me to come along. I followed and carefully put my mask back on, making sure it was securely tied.

            Walking back into the crowd was extremely stressful for I had no idea where Alexander went, but Arabella was sure to stay in front as she led me through the room. Another waltz was paying and the couples were caught up in the notes of it.

            “Now, I am assuming Thomas went to … the meeting?” she asked, her voice very low for only me to hear.

            I nodded, but then realized as to how she knew about the meeting too! Thomas more than likely told her, but was she part of this cause that “I have no idea where, but he said it would not take very long…”

            I looked around and I felt as if some vampires were staring at me. Beneath their Gothic masks, it felt as if their eyes were bearing in to me, dissecting every inch of me they could. _Is she one of us? Does her skin seem alive to you? Maybe she isn’t as she says…_ I turned away and kept trying to follow Arabella to wherever she was going, but I could still feel a burning inside me, one that felt it would singe my core…

            Finally she stopped in the middle of the floor- “There he is,” she said, “Thomas!”

            I didn’t see him at first, but then with the swirl of his cape, his face came into view. I could see him sigh in relief as he rushed to us, and once near, he was upon me in an instant. He wrapped me into his arms and sighed out “My god, I was so worried. Darling girl…” and he kissed my head and cheek repeatedly. Suddenly, he pulled his face away and asked what happened, now speaking to Arabella.

            “Thomas, I think we need to leave…” she said hesitantly, “For her sake as well as yours.”

            “Why, my God, what happened?” Thomas voice was half in a sound of shock while the other half was drenched in fear. He pulled my face to his and whispered, “Darling, what happened? Did something happen?”

            My mouth partially open, I looked to Arabella, who slowly shook her head. She didn’t want me to say anything, not now…

            I looked back to him, and when I saw the worried look in his eyes, I began to choke up. Holding back what tears were beginning to form, I said “Thomas…I w-want to go…”

            He nodded, knowing that if I was pleading to go, whatever had happened was indeed bad. The waltz music ended and as the couples were forming another dance, Thomas grabbed me. Then, turning to Arabella, he asked “Can your driver bring you to my home?” She nodded and said she would try. He nodded in agreement and led us up the stairs and to the door we entered from. He burst through them and waiting for us was the same blonde girl from earlier. She looked up slowly; her hands were folded waiting to be instructed.

            “Our cloaks please, Mr. Blaxton and guest,” he asked sternly, “And hurry!” She nodded and walked away very slowly. Once she turned the corner, Thomas turned to us. “Now listen well,” he said in a hushed voice, “Arabella, you will take your carriage to my home address and if you do happen to arrive before us, use the spare key under the orb on the left side of the staircase. You use it to open the door and you wait inside until we arrive. Don’t do a thing, just wait, yes?”

            She nodded with a nervous look on her face. Then, Thomas turned to me. “All I want you to do is stay very calm, Darling, can you do that?”

            “I-"

            Before I could say another word, the doors behind us flung open. I flew behind Arabella in a flash, trying to hide from whoever was now with us…

            “Going so soon?” the voice drawled out. My heart stopped...I looked carefully from behind her, and saw within the light from the ballroom, was the man I had danced with. Before us stood Alexander Langlais…

            “Does it truly matter?” Thomas asked; his voice was cold.

            Alexander chuckled. “Not entirely…however, it’s quite rude when one does not introduce themselves to their host…”

            He approached us then, stalking like a panther up to Thomas. Once he was in front of us, he reached up and slowly removed his mask. Now I could finally see into Alexander’s eyes. They were solid black, but as I saw through the black lace before, he had flakes of gold along where his irises supposedly were; the gold was dull at the moment, but I was sure that when his hunger struck, they would illuminate as they did before. Then, before we even knew what was going to happen next, Alexander reached forward and ripped Thomas’ mask from his eyes and threw it to the ground. Arabella and I gasped, but Thomas held his ground.

            Alexander smirked, and observed Thomas’ coolness. “You must be the one they all talk about…Blaxton? The _half bred_?”

            Thomas’ jaw tightened at those words; how dare this man call him such dreaded words! It was so disgusting and made him sound like he was less than a man he was. But Thomas kept his dignity when he responded. “You may call me what you wish, sir, but I am indeed Thomas Blaxton…”

            Alexander chuckled again and looked Thomas over once more. “Funny,” he said, “when I heard what they said about you, I imagined you to be more…blonde, very Anglo-Saxon in looks. I never imagined you to look like… _this_ …so very vampire like. You know you could be like us…but I have heard you’d rather stand by your “human” morals…”

            “Yes, I choose to be more human rather than…what I was also born as,” Thomas replied, “Is that such a crime?”

            A dark smile crossed Alexander’s lips. “Of course not...but where is the fun of not giving in once and a while to your… _lustful need_?”

            I noticed that Thomas’ hands began to flex inward, tightening with every word Alexander spoke. If he wasn’t the gentleman that he was, he would have clobbered the jaw of the man before him. Then, Alexander turned to face Arabella, smiling a deadly smile.

            “And how nice to see you again, my dear…” he grimaced, his voice dripping like poison now, “You look enchanting as ever, Arabella.”

            “Thank you, sir,” she said lowly, and held her still as he kissed her hand. “You are still as snake-like as ever…”

            He looked at her, coldness developing in his eyes, but he merely laughed. “And still as feisty as I remember you being, very nice…” I realized in that instant these two must have had so kind of connection, a past lover or mistress perhaps? Either way, these two had to have known each other prior to this meeting; they were far to close not to be. Suddenly, his attention turned as I was caught in my thoughts- “And my, what do we have here?”

            I looked up and saw to my horror Alexander approaching me. There he was, towering above me once more, his panther like gaze upon me in my stricken state.

            “My little lamb has returned to me…” he whispered, his teeth glistening from within his mouth. “Are these people your friends? I thought you said that you came alone?”

            I kept very quiet, my teeth biting my lips nervously. I didn’t know what to say; I felt stuck the fly in a spider’s web. “Little lamb…” he said again, coming closer to me, “could you tell me who you are, now that I have you before me again?”

            His fingers reached up slowly to caress my cheek. I swallowed hard, and felt as if I was done for. Suddenly, I felt a hand grasp mine, and looked up to see Arabella was beside me! Alexander back away just a bit and I quickly glanced at Thomas, he looked terribly shocked and confused.

            “If it pleases you, sir,” Arabella said, “I ask that you please not terrify my…my friend. She is from America just as I am, and she…she has just come here from being in isolation her whole life. She is a bit frightened and just getting used to being around others like her, and frankly, while you were putting yourself on her, you should have realized she might have been scared, not willing to give herself-“

            Alexander lunged at her and hissed in her face, his fangs out full, threatening and ready to pierce; Arabella stood her ground bravely. “Just because you are so bold, it does NOT give you the right to be so defiant of my actions towards others! Think about how you use your tongue, Miss Dearling…for I have no fear of ripping it from you…”

            Then he looked at me once more, his fangs returning to their natural appearance. “As for you my lamb, I do hope you enjoy your permanent stay here in London. It is a beautiful city with beautiful secrets…ones that I do hope I can share with you, Miss…”

            A name. He wanted a name! Quickly I thought of the most random name I could think of- “Mathilde…Mathilde Chevalier, sir” and I curtsied very low as if he was a king (as if he really deserved it). He hooked a finger under my chin and assisted me up.

            “You are a fascinating little creature,” he whispered, “I would love to know you better, sweet lamb…” and then, unexpectedly, he leaned down and kissed my cheek. It was very long, almost intimate, and very cold. When he let go, I pressed my fingers to my cheek; I could still feel where his flesh was against mine. His lips of death scarred my soft skin, and I felt dirty.

            Finally, Alexander turned to Thomas once more. “As for you Blaxton, thank you so much for coming. I hope this night has…intrigued you to finally join this Order. As you can tell you’d be among friends, comrades, those of us who want to see your true nature shine.” He bent down for Thomas’ mask, and gave it to him once more.

            Then, he laid a hand on Thomas’ shoulder, almost as a gesture of good will and kinship to him. I shuddered inside; Thomas could have killed him right then and there. His eyes were dark and angry for I knew he looked upon Alexander as he kissed my cheek. He kissed me and marked me, and he invaded the one thing that belonged to another. Thomas could have killed him, but he held back.

            “I want to see you succeed, Blaxton, I do,” Alexander repeated, a sense of pride flowing through his voice, “The Order must remain with each other, for if we do not, man will destroy us in the end…And we don’t want to have that happen, now do we?”

            Thomas’ face was a blank slate. “No…” he whispered, “no we surely don’t…I will think on your invitation, sir.”

            Alexander smile widely and embraced Thomas, and Arabella held my hand tightly. We both knew something was boiling within; we just weren’t sure when it would boil over.

            “Thank you, all three of you for coming,” Alexander said, with false tenderness, “If you’ll excuse me, the guests need their fine host,” and with the flair of an actor, he strode past the doors and back into the ballroom. As if by pure coincidence, the servant woman returned with our cloaks. In a flashing moment I barely remember, Thomas flung my cloak about me, grabbed me fiercely, and pulled me out the door and to the carriage. He did not wait for the carriage driver to open the door, but rather ripped it open himself and hauled me inside.

            I fell back against the cushioned seats. I knew from the moment he pulled me, he was furious, but who was he more furious at? Alexander? Arabella? Himself? Or worse…was he mad at me? He shouted to the driver to bring us to his home, and he slammed the door behind him. The carriage flew from its place on the street, and off into the night.

            “Victoria, look at me!” Thomas said very sternly, through gritted teeth.

            My eyes began to fill with tears and I tried to keep them hidden from him, but I knew full well, if I didn’t obey, some kind of punishment would occur. Slowly, I lifted my eyes to him. He looked at me, eyes cold and his face blank. He reached up, and I shrunk away, thinking he was about to hurt me, but he merely lifted my mask away from my eyes. When he saw I was holding back tears, his face softened and soon, his eyes welled with tears of his own. Realizing, the states we were in, he lifted my hands to his lips and kissed them softly, a small token of apology for his actions towards me in anger.

            “I never wanted you to see my temper, my Darling…” he cried, pulling me into his chest, “How dare that vile man even have the audacity to touch you!”

            “Thomas, please! Please don’t think I even wanted for it to happen!” I cried into his jacket “He caught me, and wanted me. Oh god Thomas, I was so frightened!”

            Thomas hushed me, and carefully ran his fingers through my hair. I cried in his arms, and he held me all the while. As we rode in the carriage, I knew it had already been a long night, but it was about to become longer. There were answers that needed to be sought after what took place.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to comment and Kudo, Thanks, I love all my readers <3 <3 <3


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